Electromagnetic fields of a massless particle and the eikonal

Nov, 1991
5 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Lett.B 277 (1992) 148-152
  • Published: 1992
e-Print:
Report number:
  • MIT-CTP-2033

Citations per year

1992200020082016202402468
Abstract:
Electromagnetic fields of a massless charged particle are described by a gauge potential that is almost everywhere pure gauge. Solution of quantum mechanical wave equations in the presence of such fields is therefore immediate and leads to a new derivation of the quantum electrodynamical eikonal approximation. The elctromagnetic action in the eikonal limit is localised on a contour in a two-dimensional Minkowski subspace of four-dimensional space-time. The exact S-matrix of this reduced theory coincides with the eikonal approximation, and represents the generalisatin to electrodynamics of the approach of 't Hooft and the Verlinde's to Planckian scattering.
Note:
  • The missing overdot -- signifying the $\tau$ differentiation $\nabla^2 {\dot \Omega}^{+ -} and {\dot k}^{+-}$ in eqs. (23) and (24) -- is inserted. Also, obsolete macro has been fixed. Plain TeX, 13 pages
  • charged particle: massless
  • massless: charged particle
  • electromagnetic field
  • potential: gauge
  • approximation: eikonal
  • quantum electrodynamics
  • dimension: 2
  • dimension: 4
  • S-matrix: solution