The inverse problem for Schwinger pair production

The production of electron–positron pairs in time-dependent electric fields (Schwinger mechanism) depends non-linearly on the applied field profile. Accordingly, the resulting momentum spectrum is extremely sensitive to small variations of the field parameters. Owing to this non-linear dependence it is so far unpredictable how to choose a field configuration such that a predetermined momentum distribution is generated. We show that quantum kinetic theory along with optimal control theory can be used to approximately solve this inverse problem for Schwinger pair production. We exemplify this by studying the superposition of a small number of harmonic components resulting in predetermined signatures in the asymptotic momentum spectrum. In the long run, our results could facilitate the observation of this yet unobserved pair production mechanism in quantum electrodynamics by providing suggestions for tailored field configurations.

Dirichlet-Neumann inverse spectral problem for a star graph of Stieltjes strings

We solve two inverse spectral problems for star graphs of Stieltjes strings with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions, respectively, at a selected vertex called root. The root is either the central vertex or, in the more challenging problem, a pendant vertex of the star graph. At all other pendant vertices Dirichlet conditions are imposed; at the central vertex, at which a mass may be placed, continuity and Kirchhoff conditions are assumed. We derive conditions on two sets of real numbers to be the spectra of the above Dirichlet and Neumann problems. Our solution for the inverse problems is constructive: we establish algorithms to recover the mass distribution on the star graph (i.e. the point masses and lengths of subintervals between them) from these two spectra and from the lengths of the separate strings. If the root is a pendant vertex, the two spectra uniquely determine the parameters on the main string (i.e. the string incident to the root) if the length of the main string is known. The mass distribution on the other edges need not be unique; the reason for this is the non-uniqueness caused by the non-strict interlacing of the given data in the case when the root is the central vertex. Finally, we relate of our results to tree-patterned matrix inverse problems.