Nuclear polarization in heavy atoms and superheavy quasiatoms

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Physical Review, A; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.43.5853· OSTI ID:5467701

Plunien, G ^[1]; Mueller, B; Greiner, W ^[2]; Soff, G ^[3]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (USA)
2. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik der Universitaet Frankfurt, Robert-Mayer-Strasse 8-10, Postfach 111 932, D-6000 Frankfurt am Main, Federal Republic of Germany (DE)
3. Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung, Planckstrasse 1, Postfach 110 552, D-6100 Darmstadt, Federal Republic of Germany (DE)

We consider the contribution of nuclear polarization to the Lamb shift of {ital K}- and {ital L}-shell electrons in heavy atoms and quasiatoms. Our formal approach is based on the concept of effective photon propagators with nuclear-polarization insertions treating effects of nuclear polarization on the same footing as usual QED radiative corrections. We explicitly derive the modification of the photon propagator for various collective nuclear excitations and calculate the corresponding effective self-energy shift perturbatively. The energy shift of the 1{ital s}{sub 1/2} state in {sub 92}{sup 238}U due to virtual excitation of nuclear rotational states is shown to be a considerable correction for atomic high-precision experiments. In contrast to this, nuclear-polarization effects are of minor importance for Lamb-shift studies in {sub 82}{sup 208}Pb.

• OSTI ID: 5467701
• Journal Information: Physical Review, A; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, A; (USA) Vol. 43:11; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640302* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Atomic & Molecular Properties & Theory
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ATOMIC NUMBER
ATOMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CORRELATIONS
ELECTRODYNAMICS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FIELD THEORIES
HEAVY IONS
HEAVY NUCLEI
IONS
ISOTOPES
LAMB SHIFT
LEAD 208
LEAD ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
POLARIZATION
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
RADIOISOTOPES
SPECTRAL SHIFT
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES