dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaLaser-dressed vacuum polarization in a Coulomb field
| Authors | A. I. Milstein, I. S. Terekhov, U. D. Jentschura, C. H. Keitel |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0508232 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0508232 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevA.72.052104 |
| Journal | Phys.Rev.A 72 (2005) 052104 |
Abstract
We investigate quantum electrodynamic effects under the influence of an external, time-dependent electromagnetic field, which mediates dynamic modifications of the radiative corrections. Specifically, we consider the quantum electrodynamic vacuum-polarization tensor under the influence of two external background fields: a strong laser field and a nuclear Coulomb field. We calculate the charge and current densities induced by a nuclear Coulomb field in the presence of a laser field. We find the corresponding induced scalar and vector potentials. The induced potential, in first-order perturbation theory, leads to a correction to atomic energy levels. The external laser field breaks the rotational symmetry of the system. Consequently, the induced charge density is not spherically symmetric, and the energy correction therefore leads to a "polarized Lamb shift." In particular, the laser generates an additional potential with a quadrupole moment. The corresponding laser-dressed vacuum-polarization potential behaves like 1/r**3 at large distances, unlike the Uehling potential that vanishes exponentially for large r. Our investigation might be useful for other situations where quantum field theoretic phenomena are subjected to external fields of a rather involved structure.
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"abstract": "We investigate quantum electrodynamic effects under the influence of an\nexternal, time-dependent electromagnetic field, which mediates dynamic\nmodifications of the radiative corrections. Specifically, we consider the\nquantum electrodynamic vacuum-polarization tensor under the influence of two\nexternal background fields: a strong laser field and a nuclear Coulomb field.\nWe calculate the charge and current densities induced by a nuclear Coulomb\nfield in the presence of a laser field. We find the corresponding induced\nscalar and vector potentials. The induced potential, in first-order\nperturbation theory, leads to a correction to atomic energy levels. The\nexternal laser field breaks the rotational symmetry of the system.\nConsequently, the induced charge density is not spherically symmetric, and the\nenergy correction therefore leads to a \"polarized Lamb shift.\" In particular,\nthe laser generates an additional potential with a quadrupole moment. The\ncorresponding laser-dressed vacuum-polarization potential behaves like 1/r**3\nat large distances, unlike the Uehling potential that vanishes exponentially\nfor large r. Our investigation might be useful for other situations where\nquantum field theoretic phenomena are subjected to external fields of a rather\ninvolved structure.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0508232",
"authors": [
"A. I. Milstein",
"I. S. Terekhov",
"U. D. Jentschura",
"C. H. Keitel"
],
"categories": [
"physics.atom-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevA.72.052104",
"journal_ref": "Phys.Rev.A 72 (2005) 052104",
"title": "Laser-dressed vacuum polarization in a Coulomb field",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0508232"
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