On e+e− pair production by colliding electromagnetic pulses

Electron-positron pair production from vacuum in an electromagnetic field created by two counterpropagating focused laser pulses interacting with each other is analyzed. The dependence of the number of produced pairs on the intensity of a laser pulse and the focusing parameter is studied with a realistic three-dimensional model of the electromagnetic field of the focused wave, which is an exact solution of the Maxwell equations. It has been shown that e ⁺ e ⁻ pair production can be experimentally observed when the intensity of each beam is I∼10²⁶ W/cm², which is two orders of magnitude lower than that for a single pulse.