Contributions to the Study of Post-Maxwellian Electrodynamics
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editors
Interests: gauge field theories; physical observables; gauge-invariant variables
Interests: quantum field theory; supersymmetry; supergravity
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The phenomenon of vacuum polarization in quantum electrodynamics (QED) is a well-known consequence of the polarization of virtual electron–positron pairs. This effect leads to non-linear interactions between electromagnetic fields and has been a fascinating research topic, as in the early days of QED. A key issue in this context is the scattering of photons by photons, which has significant implications, including vacuum birefringence and vacuum dichroism. Meanwhile, despite considerable advancements in research, experimental confirmation of this prediction is still elusive. Interestingly, it is worth recalling here that the ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) recently reported the emission of high-energy gamma–gamma pairs resulting from virtual gamma–gamma scattering in ultraperipheral Pb–Pb collisions. New laser facilities have also generated interest in this area by measuring the scattering of intense laser pulses. Thus, exploring further observational signatures of different nonlinear Electrodynamics models in vacuum could be beneficial. This involves understanding how nonlinearities are essential for activating a material with unique permittivity and susceptibility properties, as well as its refractive index and radiation characteristics.
This Issue aims to further clarify the role of post-Maxwellian Electrodynamics in describing various properties of the QED vacuum and constraining the parameters of models designed to discuss Physics beyond the Standard Model.
Prof. Dr. Patricio Gaete
Prof. Dr. José Abdalla Helayël-Neto
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- quantum electrodynamics
- vacuum birefringence
- vacuum dichroism
- photons-photons scattering
- nonlinear electrodynamics
- refractive index
- radiation
- permittivity and susceptibility
- post-maxwellian electrodynamics
- physics beyond the standard model
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