Proper-time methods in the presence of non-constant background fields

Abstract

A formalism is developed to enable the construction of the effective action and related quantities in QED for the case of time-varying background electric fields. Some examples are studied and evidence is sought for a possible transition to a phase in which chiral symmetry is spontaneously broken. YCTP-P14-94

Comments: 13 pages, YCTP-P14-94