Schwinger pair production in SL (2, C) topologically nontrivial fields via non-Abelian worldline instantons

Schwinger pair production is analyzed in a Belavin, Polyakov, Schwarz and Tyupkin (BPST) instanton background and in its SL(2, C) complex extension for complex scalar particles. A non-Abelian extension of the worldline instanton method is utilized, wherein Wong's equations in a coherent state picture adopted for SL(2, C) are solved in Euclidean spacetime. While pair production is not predicted in the BPST instanton, a complex extension of the BPST instanton, existing as parallel fields in Minkowski spacetime, is shown to decay via the Schwinger effect.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the Schwinger pair production in a Belavin, Polyakov, Schwarz and Tyupkin instanton background and its complex extension. The non-Abelian extension of the worldline instanton method is used, showing that while pair production is not predicted in the BPST instanton, a complex extension of it decays via the Schwinger effect.