Exact Dirac equation calculation of ionization and pair production induced by ultrarelativistic heavy ions

Abstract

An exact solution of the time-dependent Dirac equation for ionization and pair production induced by ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions is presented. Exact transition probabilities, equivalent to those that would be obtained in an untruncated basis coupled channels calculation, are presented. Exact bound-electron positron pair production probabilities are calculated to be mostly smaller than those calculated with the same potential in perturbation theory at impact parameters small enough for differences to occur.