ANNALS OF PHYSICS:54, 204-205 (1969)

Abstracts of Papers to Appear in Future Issues

Electrodynamics of Direct Interparticle Action. F. HOYLE AND J. V. NARKILAR.

The present paper is the first of a series that seeks to obtain results in agreement with experience
from a completely time-symmetric electromagnetic theory-i.e. which does not permit an ad hoc
restriction to retarded solutions of time-symmetric equations. It is remarkable that the development
of a wholly time-symmetric theory must be along lines entirely different from the usual electro-
dynamics. While a tirst quantization of the particles can readily be carried out, there can be no
separate quantization of the field, since the field is wholly determined by the particles. This raises
the question of how practical results that have hitherto been thought to arise from field quantisa-
tion can be obtained. The most immediate problem of this kind concerns the spontaneous
transitions of atoms. Much of the present paper is directed toward showing that this problem
can indeed be solved without the need for field quantization. Although this question might appear
simple compared to other issues in quantum e1ectrodynamics-e.g. vacuum polarization-it is
not trivial in its implication, for the establishment of one such case provides a critical precedent.
The path integral method of first quantization is used to demonstrate that provided the Universe
is a perfect absorber along the future light cone the usual formulas for level shifts and for spon-
taneous transitions can be obtained in a steady-state model of the Universe, but not in open
Friedmann models.

Theory of Representation of Scattering Data by Analytic Functions. R. E. CIJTKOSKY, Dept. of

Applied Mat. and Theoretical Physics, Univ. of Cambridge, England.
An extension is presented of a recently developed new method for analysis of differential cross
section data. The method is designed to be the most powerful possible, given certain information
about the relative degree of variability of the scattering amplitude. It is also designed to give a
conservative estimate of systematic errors. The method is based on earlier work by Cutkosky
and Deo and by Ciulli, and uses an expansion in terms of functions which ar especially adapted
both to the assumed analyticity properties and to the characteristics of the data. The amplitude
is characterised, in addition to having a given analyticity domain by a weighted Gaussian measure
over the set of possible boundary values. For a given weight, for a given set of data, and for
given parameters which are related linearily to the amplitude, there is a definite construction which
will lead to the best convergence properties. The construction also provides a delinite prescription
for the form factors associated with poles. A test function, based on ratios of expansion coefficients,
is constructed for the purpose of estimating truncation errors and the truncation point, and for
distinguishing among various fits to the data. This test function is similar to x* and is to be used
in conjunction with xa in analysing data.

Causality and Electromagnetic Form Factors. R. F. ALVAREZ-ESTRADA. Divison de Fisica Teorica,

Junta de Energia Nuclear Moncloa, Madrid, Spain.
In the annihilation e-e+ --, y 4 x + n -, the electromagnetic potential of the virtual y is related
to the r+~- wave function by means of a convolution product, under different general conditions
(even if the T+K interdistance approaches infmity). After assuming the boundedness of the
pion form factor, F(w), for w > 2n2, (W is the total energy), general causality conditions are
formulated rigorously on the convolution kernels: their vanishing for certain values of time and
distance which could correspond, otherwise, to an intuitive violation of causality. The causality
204
 ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS TO APPEAR IN FUTURE ISSUES 205

conditions imply analyticity and boundedness of F(w) in Im w > 0. General parameterizations

of F(w) in the w-plane are presented. The derivative of the phase of F(w) is interpreted as a time
delay. As examples of the causality conditions a vector-meson-dominance model, the field
theoretic PS-PS coupling model and a new model (where F(w) appears to be the n+~~i P-wave
outgoing Jost functions, so that its analyticity properties can be derived rigorously) are studied.
The generalization of the causality conditions to the form factors of the proton, neutron, etc..
is also treated.

Quantum Theory of Static Shielding of an Impwit)? Charge by an Electron Gas Plasma in u ~fugnetic~
Field. NORMAN J. HORING.
The detailed calculations of magnetic field effects on the static shielding of a point Coulomb
impurity charge by a quantum plasma are presented here. The quantum plasma is described
in terms of the random phase approximation (RPA) inverse dielectric function in a mannel
that is valid for arbitrary magnetic field strength (to take account of Landau quantization) and
arbitrary temperature (statistical regime). Magnetic field effects are found to occur only in
conjunction with quantum modifications of the static shielding law, and they are accompanied
by spatial anisotropy. This is manifest in both low- and high- wavenumber shielding phenomena.
A low wavenumber evaluation results in a quantum analog of the Debye-Thomas-Fermi
shielding law which is characterized by a quantum-corrected anisotropic effective Debye length
whose magnetic field dependence reflects the statistical regime under consideration. In the non-
degenerate case magnetic field-quantum corrections and anisotropy enter through the
parameter hw$. In the degenerate-DHVA case, the presence of DHVA oscillatory terms suggests
that the anisotropic magnetic field-quantum corrections to the Debye-Thomas-Fermi shielding
law could be useful in an experimental determination of (pm/m,). In the quantum strong lield
limit magnetic field-quantum corrections and anisotropy in the effective Debye length occur
through the parameter fiwc/[ alone.
The evaluation of high wavenumber contributions to the static shielding law in the quantum
strong field limit reveals an important change of character in the Friedel-Kohn (FK) “wiggle”.
Specifically, the results show that the strong anisotropy induced by the magnetic tield in this
limit destroys the long-range character of the FK “wiggle”. Although anisotropic “wiggle”
behavior is still discernable as an oscillatory function of Zppr, , there is also an i-dependent factor
which confines the “wiggle” within a decaying exponential envelope factor exp[--2pp i- 1.
Thus the FK “wiggle” is deprived of its long-range character in the quantum strong field limit.
(rZ is along the direction of the magnetic field, and i is transverse).

Polarization Measurements at High Energies. R. SAENC;ER AND W. SCHMIDT. Stanford Linear

Accelerator Center, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305.
The problem of translating symmetry properties of the helicity amplitudes for two-body
scattering into concise predictions for polarization experiments is discussed extensively. Particular
attention is given to the asymptotic symmetries at high energies, which are characteristic for a
Regge pole exchange model and which are associated with J-parity and G-parity exchange in a
crossed channel. The idea is developed that the symmetry operator, as a matrix in the helicity
space, “maps” one polarization measurement onto a superposition of other polarization measure-
ments. Using this fact a systematic procedure is presented for separating different parts of the
amplitudes which are even or odd under a symmetry. The procedure applies for any spins of the
particles. To make the paper more complete and self-consistent a discussion of the density matrix
formalism with particular emphasis on the choice of coordinate systems and phase conventions
is included.