New Quantum Effect: Emission of Cosmic X– or γ–rays by Moving Unstable Particles at Late Times

University of Zielona Góra, Institute of Physics, ul. Prof. Z. Szafrana 4a, 65–516 Zielona Góra, Poland

^a e-mail: K.Urbanowski@if.uz.zgora.pl; k.a.urbanowski@gmail.com

Published online: 4 November 2016

Abstract

A quantum effect induced by the late time properties of decaying states is discussed and its possible observational consequences are analyzed. It is shown that charged unstable particles as well as neutral unstable particles with non–zero magnetic moment which were able to survive sufficiently long may emit electromagnetic radiation. The nonclassical behavior of unstable particles at late times when deviations of the decay law from the exponential form begin to dominate is a source of the mechanism responsible for this effect. Analyzing the transition times region between exponential and non-exponential form of the survival amplitude it is found that at this time region the instantaneous energy of the unstable particle can take very large values, much larger than the energy of this state at times from the exponential time region. Results obtained for the model considered suggest that this new purely quantum mechanical effect may be responsible for causing unstable particles produced by astrophysical sources and moving with relativistic velocities to emit electromagnetic–, X– or γ–rays at some time intervals from the transition time regions.