Cloud of Virtual Photons Surrounding a Nonrelativistic Electron

• Authors: G. Compagno , R. Passante , F. Persico , G. Salamone
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

A review is presented of the virtual cloud of photons surrounding a nonrelativistic electron. Two cases are considered. In the first, the electron is taken as bound to a proton to form a is hydrogen atom. In the second case the electron is considered as free. It is shown that the virtual cloud, as measured by the transverse electromagnetic energy density, in the near region of the ground-state hydrogen is not influenced by the dynamic properties of the atom and in practice it coincides with that of the free electron. The influence of the atomic eigenvalue spectrum is evident in the far region of the atom where retardation effects play an important role. These results are discussed from a physical point of view.

Keywords

EN

12.20.-m

Discipline

• 12.20.-m: Quantum electrodynamics

• Publisher: Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Acta Physica Polonica A
• Year: 1994
• Volume: 85
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 667-676

Dates

published

1994-04

Contributors

author

G. Compagno

• Istituto di Fisica dell'Università, via Archirafi 36, 90123, Palermo, Italy

author

R. Passante

• Istituto per le Applicazioni Interdisciplinari della Fisica, Consiglio Nazionale delie Ricerche, via Archirafi 36, 90123, Palermo, Italy

author

F. Persico

• Istituto di Fisica dell'Università and Istituto per le Applicazioni Interdisciplinari della Fisica, via Archirafi 36, 90123, Palermo, Italy

author

G. Salamone

• Istituto di Fisica dell'Università, via Archirafi 36, 90123, Palermo, Italy

Identifiers

DOI

10.12693/APhysPolA.85.667