Researchers from the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Electrodynamics at the Russian Academy of Sciences, including M. Reiter, D. Solovyev, A. Bobylev, D. Glazov, and T. Zalialiutdinov, have published a study on the thermal one-loop self-energy correction for hydrogen-like systems using a fully relativistic approach. Their work was published in the journal Physical Review A.
In their research, the team derived the one-loop self-energy correction for a bound electron within a fully relativistic framework and extended it to include the effects of external thermal radiation. Previous studies have shown that the effects of blackbody radiation in quantum electrodynamics (QED) at finite temperature can be described using the thermal part of the photon propagator. The researchers found that by using a fully relativistic approach, they could accurately calculate the thermal shift of atomic levels, taking into account various quantum mechanical phenomena such as the Stark and Zeeman effects.
The hydrogen atom served as the basis for testing this fully relativistic approach. The researchers also analyzed the behavior of the thermal shift caused by the thermal one-loop correction to the self-energy of a bound electron for hydrogen-like ions with an arbitrary nuclear charge Z. The significance of these calculations lies in their relevance to contemporary high-precision experiments, where thermal radiation constitutes one of the major contributions to the overall uncertainty budget.
For the energy sector, this research could have practical applications in the development of high-precision sensors and instruments that operate in environments with significant thermal radiation. Understanding and accounting for the thermal shifts in atomic levels can improve the accuracy and reliability of these devices, which are crucial for various energy-related applications, including nuclear power and advanced materials research. The findings could also contribute to the development of more accurate models for predicting the behavior of materials and systems under high-temperature conditions, which is essential for optimizing energy production and storage technologies.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.