On the frequency of oscillations in the pair plasma generated by a strong electric field

We study the frequency of the plasma oscillations of electron-positron pairs created by the vacuum polarization in a uniform electric field with strength E in the range 0.2Ec<E<10Ec. Following the approach adopted in Ruffini, et al. (2007) [1] we work out one second order ordinary differential equation for a variable related to the velocity from which we can recover the classical plasma oscillation equation when E→0. Thereby, we focus our attention on its evolution in time studying how this oscillation frequency approaches the plasma frequency. The time-scale needed to approach to the plasma frequency and the power spectrum of these oscillations are computed. The characteristic frequency of the power spectrum is determined uniquely from the initial value of the electric field strength. The effects of plasma degeneracy and pair annihilation are discussed. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.