Dispersion self-energy of the electron

Electron mass renormalization and the Lamb shift have been investigated using the dispersion self-energy formalism. If shifts of both the electromagnetic field and quantum-mechanical transitions frequencies are considered, absorption from the electromagnetic field is canceled by emission due to atom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics, 1991-05, Vol.43 (9), p.4588-4593
Main Author: HAWTON, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
645400 - High Energy Physics- Field Theory
Classical and quantum physics: mechanics and fields
DISPERSION RELATIONS
EFFECTIVE MASS
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY
Exact sciences and technology
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
LAMB SHIFT
LEPTONS
MASS
MASS RENORMALIZATION
Physics
PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
RENORMALIZATION
SELF-ENERGY
SPECTRAL SHIFT
Theory of quantized fields
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Summary:Electron mass renormalization and the Lamb shift have been investigated using the dispersion self-energy formalism. If shifts of both the electromagnetic field and quantum-mechanical transitions frequencies are considered, absorption from the electromagnetic field is canceled by emission due to atomic fluctuations. The frequencies of all modes are obtained from the self-consistency condition that the field seen by the electron is the same as the field produced by the expectation value of current. The radiation present can thus be viewed as arising from emission and subsequent reabsorption by matter. As developed here, the numerical predictions of dispersion theory are identical to those of quantum electrodynamics. The physical picture implied by dispersion theory is discussed in the context of semiclassical theories and quantum electrodynamics.
ISSN:1050-2947
1094-1622
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevA.43.4588