Bound-free pair production cross-section in heavy-ion colliders from the equivalent photon approach

Exact calculations of the electron-positron pair production by a single photon in the Coulomb field of a nucleus with simultaneous capture of the electron into the K-shell are discussed for different nuclear charges. Using the equivalent photon method of Weizsacker and Williams, a simple expression for the bound-free production of e(+) e(-) pairs by colliding very-high-energy fully stripped heavy ions is derived for nuclei of arbitrary charge. Copyright (c) EPLA, 2008.