Static and dynamic image potential for tunneling into a Luttinger liquid

We study electron tunneling from a tip or a lead into an interacting quantu m wire described by Luttinger liquid theory. Within a WKB-type approach, th e Coulomb interaction between the wire and the tunneling electrons, as well as the finite traversal time are taken into account. Although the static i mage potential is only logarithmically suppressed against the bare Coulomb interaction, the dynamic image potential is not strong enough to alter powe r-law exponents entering the tunneling density of states. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.