| Title: | Classical constant electric fields and the Schwinger effect in de Sitter |
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| Authors: | ID Bastero-Gil, Mar (Author)
ID Ferraz, Paulo B. (Author)
ID Torres Manso, António (Author)
ID Ubaldi, Lorenzo, Institut "Jožef Stefan" (Author)
ID Vega-Morales, Roberto (Author) |
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| Files: |  URL - Source URL, visit https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1475-7516/2026/04/040
 PDF - Presentation file, download (1,17 MB)
MD5: 5175528974B12BB96DE21D5AF81202AF
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| Language: | English |
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| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
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| Organization: |  IJS - Jožef Stefan Institute
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| Abstract: | We study constant classical electric fields and the Schwinger effect in de Sitter space, with potential implications for magnetogenesis and inflationary dark matter production. Treating the photon as a dynamical field, we show that sustaining a constant electric field in de Sitter requires a tachyonic photon mass of order the Hubble scale. This observation has physical implications, as it alters the infrared behaviour of the induced Schwinger current. Using an on-shell renormalization condition consistent with a tachyonic photon, we recompute the current for charged fermions and scalars, finding it to be finite and positive even in the massless limit of the charge carriers, contrary to earlier results in the literature predicting a puzzling negative IR divergence. For scalars, we include a non-minimal coupling to the Ricci curvature, enabling us to analyze the conformal limit, where the current closely matches that of charged fermions. |
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| Keywords: | Schwinger effect, de Sitter space, magnetogenesis |
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| Publication status: | Published |
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| Publication version: | Version of Record |
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| Submitted for review: | 13.11.2025 |
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| Article acceptance date: | 17.02.2026 |
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| Publication date: | 14.04.2026 |
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| Publisher: | IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of Sissa Medialab |
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| Year of publishing: | 2026 |
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| Number of pages: | str. 1-36 |
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| Numbering: | Vol. 2026, iss. 4, [article no.] 040 |
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| PID: | 20.500.12556/DiRROS-29971  |
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| UDC: | 53 |
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| ISSN on article: | 1475-7516 |
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| DOI: | 10.1088/1475-7516/2026/04/040 |
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| COBISS.SI-ID: | 281118211 |
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| Copyright: | © 2026 The Author(s). |
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| Note: | Nasl. z nasl. zaslona;
Opis vira z dne 10. 6. 2026;
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| Publication date in DiRROS: | 10.06.2026 |
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| Views: | 94 |
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| Downloads: | 63 |
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| Metadata: |    |
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