Reduced Dirac equation and Lamb shift as off-mass-shell effect in quantum electrodynamics

作     者：倪光炯 徐建军 楼森岳 

作者机构：Department of PhysicsFudan University Department of PhysicsPortland State University Department of PhysicsShanghai Jiao Tong University Department of PhysicsNingbo University 

出 版 物：《Chinese Physics B》 (中国物理B（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2011年第20卷第2期

页      面：7-29页

核心收录：

学科分类：07[理学] 070201[理学-理论物理] 0702[理学-物理学] 

主　　题：reduced Dirac equation Lamb shift off-mass-shell 

摘      要：Based on the accurate experimental data of energy-level differences in hydrogen-like atoms, especially the 1S 2S transitions of hydrogen and deuterium, the necessity of introducing a reduced Dirac equation with reduced mass as the substitution of original electron mass is stressed. Based on new cognition about the essence of special relativity, we provide a reasonable argument for the reduced Dirac equation to have two symmetries, the invariance under the （newly defined） space-time inversion and that under the pure space inversion, in a noninertial frame. By using the reduced Dirac equation and within the framework of quantum electrodynamics in covariant form, the Lamb shift can be evaluated （at one-loop level） as the radiative correction on a bound electron staying in an off-mass-shell state^a new approach eliminating the infrared divergence. Hence the whole calculation, though with limited accuracy, is simplified, getting rid of all divergences and free of ambiguity.