  For Schwinger pair production with background electric fields varying only in
time, it is shown that the quantum kinetic approach, based on the quantum
Vlasov equation, and the quantum mechanical scattering approach, are completely
equivalent. This different perspective on the quantum kinetic approach suggests
new approximation methods, which are tested in detail using a soluble
pulse-like field configuration, and may give useful insight for generalization
to more general electric fields, varying in more than 1 dimension.

High Energy Physics - Theory