Bhabha scattering and trident production in strong uniform magnetic fields

here is now an almost universal acceptance that the interaction of photons and electrons with the strong magnetic fields plays a dominant role in the pulsar emission mechanism. If the emission is at high energies, then these interactions can correctly be formulated only through the use of quantum electrodynamic calculations. Quantum effects may also be important in certain low energy interactions, and often the strong magnetic fields affect the very nature of these processes; certain interactions which are never observed in the terrestrial environment can become possible on neutron stars because of presence of the strong fields.;The discovery of supernova remnants near the sources of Soft Gamma Repeaters suggest that the latter objects are neutron stars with large magnetic. fields. There is also some evidence that Gamma Ray Bursts originate from the surface of neutron stars. Any detailed model of these astrophysical objects must make use of the rates and cross sections calculated using quantum electrodynamics in the presence of the magnetic fields.;In this dissertation we review some previous work done on quantum electrodynamic processes in strong uniform magnetic fields and then we calculate here the cross section for scattering of electrons and positrons (Bhabha scattering) in the strong magnetic fields such as those that might occur on the surface of neutron stars. We find that the Bhabha scattering cross section in magnetic fields is notably different from the cross section in the absence of the field. We also calculate the rate for trident production,...