A bstract Particle production in strong electromagnetic fields is a recurring theme in solid
state physics, heavy ion collisions, early universe cosmology and formal quantum field
theory. In this paper we discuss the Dirac equation in a background of parallel electric and
magnetic fields. We review the Schwinger particle production rate, clarify the emergence of
the chiral anomaly equation and compute the induced current of charged fermions. We
distinguish the contributions from non-perturbative particle production, from the running of …

Particle production in strong electromagnetic fields is a recurring theme in solid state
physics, heavy ion collisions, early universe cosmology and formal quantum field theory. In
this paper we discuss the Dirac equation in a background of parallel electric and magnetic
fields. We review the Schwinger particle production rate, clarify the emergence of the chiral
anomaly equation and compute the induced current of charged fermions. We distinguish the
contributions from nonperturbative particle production, from the running of the gauge …