Calculation of Hydrogenic Bethe Logarithms for Rydberg States

In this paper, we determine the exact expression for the hydrogen binding energy in the Pauli-Fierz model up to the order $O(\alpha^5\log\alpha^{-1})$, where $\alpha$ denotes the finestructure constant, and prove rigorous bounds on the remainder term of the order $o(\alpha^5\log\alpha^{-1})$. As a consequence, we prove that the binding energy is not a real analytic function of $\alpha$, and verify the existence of logarithmic corrections to the expansion of the ground state e...

Calculation of higher-order two-loop corrections is now a limiting factor in development of the bound state QED theory of the Lamb shift in the hydrogen atom and in precision determination of the Rydberg constant. Progress in the study of light hydrogen-like ions of helium and nitrogen can be helpful to investigate these uncalculated terms experimentally. To do that it is necessary to develop a theory of such ions. We present here a theoretical calculation for low energy leve...

The recursive Neville algorithm allows one to calculate interpolating functions recursively. Upon a judicious choice of the abscissas used for the interpolation (and extrapolation), this algorithm leads to a method for convergence acceleration. For example, one can use the Neville algorithm in order to successively eliminate inverse powers of the upper limit of the summation from the partial sums of a given, slowly convergent input series. Here, we show that, for a particular...

Analytic calculations of the Lamb shift represent a considerable challenge due to the size and the complexity of the expressions that occur in intermediate steps. In the current work, we present a method for the treatment of the bound-state self-energy in higher orders. Advantage is taken of computer algebra systems. The method is applied to the 2P-states, and the (one-loop) self-energy is calculated up to the order of alpha (Zalpha)^6. The calculation leads to improved predi...

The nature of the theory of circular Rydberg states of hydrogenlike ions allows highly-accurate predictions to be made for energy levels. In particular, uncertainties arising from the problematic nuclear size correction which beset low angular-momentum states are negligibly small for the high angular-momentum states. The largest remaining source of uncertainty can be addressed with the help of quantum electrodynamics (QED) calculations, including a new nonperturbative result ...

Extensive variational computations are reported for the ground state energy of the non-relativistic two-electron atom. Several different sets of basis functions were systematically explored, starting with the original scheme of Hylleraas. The most rapid convergence is found with a combination of negative powers and a logarithm of the coordinate s = r_{1}+ r_{2}. At N=3091 terms we pass the previous best calculation (Korobov's 25 decimal accuracy with N=5200 terms) and we stop...

Advantages of using a low-energy effective theory to study bound state properties are briefly discussed, and a nonperturbative implementation of such an effective theory is described within the context of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. The hydrogen atom, in the approximation of a structureless, infinite-mass nucleus, but with the leading relativistic and radiative corrections included, is used to demonstrate the construction and solution of the effective theory. The resul...

The method and status of a study to provide numerical, high-precision values of the self-energy level shift in hydrogen and hydrogen-like ions is described. Graphs of the self energy in hydrogen-like ions with nuclear charge number between 20 and 110 are given for a large number of states. The self-energy is the largest contribution of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) to the energy levels of these atomic systems. These results greatly expand the number of levels for which the se...

The long-range interaction of excited neutral atoms has a number of interesting and surprising properties, such as the prevalence of long-range, oscillatory tails, and the emergence of numerically large can der Waals C_6 coefficients. Furthermore, the energetically quasi-degenerate nP states require special attention and lead to mathematical subtleties. Here, we analyze the interaction of excited hydrogen atoms in nS states (3 <= n <= 12) with ground-state hydrogen atoms, and...

Theoretical calculations of the Lamb shift provide the basis required for the determination of the Rydberg constant from spectroscopic measurements in hydrogen. The recent high-precision determination of the proton charge radius drastically reduced the uncertainty in the hydrogen Lamb shift originating from the proton size. As a result, the dominant theoretical uncertainty now comes from the two- and three-loop QED effects, which calls for further advances in their calculatio...