The Stochastic Schwinger Effect

par Azadeh Maleknejad (Swansea University)

jeudi 28 mai 2026, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Paris

Auditorium Vivargent (LAPTh)

Particle production in background fields is a hallmark of quantum field theory in strong environments. I will begin with a brief overview of particle creation in external fields, reviewing the classical coherent Schwinger effect and its generalizations. Motivated by the fact that realistic gauge fields in the Universe are typically transient and stochastic, I will then introduce a new mechanism that we call the stochastic Schwinger effect. We formulate vacuum decay in statistically fluctuating gauge-field backgrounds and compute the decay rate and particle number density using the effective action formalism, obtaining closed analytical results for both scalar and fermionic fields. I will conclude with possible phenomenological implications within the Standard Model and beyond, with applications to early-Universe and high-energy astrophysical settings.