QED Second Order Corrections on the Speed of Light at Low Temperature

Abstract

We want to study thermal corrections on the speed of light at low temperature considering temperature dependence of photon vacuum polarization tensor at two-loop level in the standard QED. It is found that the heat bath behaves as a dispersive medium to the propagation of light and reduces its speed proprtional to the second order of temperature. Similiraties and differences with already known calculations which are based on Euler-Heisenberg Lagrangian and/or those using temperature dependent electromagnetic properties of the medium are discussed.

Comments: 12 pages including an Appendix