Radiative corrections to positronium decay
Thesis/Dissertation
·
OSTI ID:5986684
A method for calculating radiative corrections to positronium decay is presented that is direct and allows for calculations to any desired degree of accuracy. An expression for the decay amplitude in terms of the Bethe-Salpeter wave function is employed. The Bethe-Salpeter wave function is evaluated perturbatively in a scheme having a lowest order bound state equation that is exactly soluble. Various gauges are examined to see in which gauge the calculation is most straightforward. Coulomb gauge and Yennie gauge are suggested as preferred gauges. The use of other gauges for virtual photons is permitted with the addition of a correction term, which is obtained. Divergent integrals encountered in this calculation are defined by dimensional regularization. Renormalization in Coulomb gauge is discussed, and a useable form of the Coulomb gauge self-energy function is presented. A physically motivated subtraction scheme is used to define and calculate the renormalization constants Z/sub 1/ and A/sub 2/ in Coulomb gauge. One-loop renormalization in Coulomb gauge, as well as in Yennie gauge, presents no difficulties. These two gauges can be renormalized in this scheme without the introduction of unphysical infrared divergences. Using this method the known analytic result for the o(..cap alpha..) correction to the parapositronium decay rate is obtained. The same method is applied to orthopositronium, and the existing theoretical discrepancy in the value of the o(..cap alpha..) correction to the decay rate is resolved. This o(..cap alpha..) correction is obtained with an error which corresponds to an uncertainty in the total rate much smaller than ..cap alpha../sup 2/In..cap alpha.. GAMMA/sub LO and ..cap alpha../sup 2/ GAMMA/sub LO/ (where GAMMA/sub LO/ is the lowest order rate).
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Los Angeles (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5986684
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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