Nonvariational calculation of the relativistic, finite-size, and QED corrections for the 2 [sup 1][ital S] excited state of the helium atom

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physical Review A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.49.3338· OSTI ID:5008869

Haftel, M I ^[1]; Mandelzweig, V B ^[2]

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1. Code 6651, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375-5345 (United States)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States) Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel)

Relativistic and QED corrections are calculated by using a direct solution of the Schroedinger equation for the 2 [sup 1][ital S] excited state of the helium atom obtained with the correlation-function hyperspherical-harmonic method. Our extremely accurate nonvariational results for relativistic, QED, and finite-size corrections coincide exactly (up to 0.000 03 cm[sup [minus]1]) with the values obtained in precision variational calculations of Drake [Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 5, 2207 (1988)] and Baker, Hill, and Morgan [in [ital Relativistic], [ital Quantum] [ital Electrodynamic] [ital and] [ital Weak] [ital Interaction] [ital Effects] [ital in] [ital Atoms], edited by Walter Johnson, Peter Mohr, and Joseph Sucher, AIP Conf. Proc. No. 189 (AIP, New York, 1989), p. 123] for both infinite and finite nuclear masses. This confirms that a discrepancy of 0.0033 cm[sup [minus]1] between theory and experiment is not a result of an inaccuracy of variational wave functions, but is rooted in our inadequate knowledge of the QED operators. A better understanding of the different QED contributions to the operators (such as, for example, a more precise estimate of the Bethe logarithm) is therefore needed to explain the discrepancy.

• OSTI ID: 5008869
• Journal Information: Physical Review A; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review A; (United States) Vol. 49:5; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

664100* -- Theory of Electronic Structure of Atoms & Molecules-- (1992-)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CALCULATION METHODS
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EQUATIONS
EXCITED STATES
FIELD THEORIES
FLUIDS
FUNCTIONS
GASES
HELIUM
METASTABLE STATES
NONMETALS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
RARE GASES
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
WAVE EQUATIONS