Crossing symmetry in the high-energy limit and pair production in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions - art. no. 062710

We briefly review the description of electron propagation in the field of u ltrarelativistic colliding nuclei. The crossing symmetry of the resulting a mplitude is discussed. We show that the amplitude loses crossing invariance in the high-energy limit so that the conventional formalism to derive the pair production amplitude cannot be applied. Consequently, former calculati ons of thr pair production amplitude using the solution of the two-center D irac equation are incorrect. On the basis of bremsstrahlung and e(+)e(-) pa ir production, conclusions about the Coulomb corrections in electron scatte ring and pair production in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions are draw n.