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QED corrections to the electromagnetic Abraham force

Casimir momentum of the hydrogen atom?

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Abstract

We develop a QED approach to find the contribution of the quantum vacuum to the electromagnetic Abraham force. Semi-classical theories predict diverging contributions from the quantum vacuum. We show that the divergencies disappear by Kramers-Bethe mass-renormalization. The finite remainder is compared to the relativistic corrections to the Abraham force. This work applies an earlier approach [S. Kawka, B.A. van Tiggelen, Europhys Lett. 89, 11002 (2010)]1, dedicated to the simpler case of a harmonic oscillator, to the Coulomb interaction, which is more realistic in a QED context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université Grenoble 1/CNRS, LPMMC, Maison des Magistères, 38042, Grenoble, France

    B. A. van Tiggelen & S. Kawka

  2. Scuola Normale Superiore, Physics Department, Piazza dei Cavalieri, 7 56126, Pisa, Italy

    S. Kawka

  3. Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Intenses, UPR3228 CNRS/INSA/UJF/UPS, Toulouse and Grenoble, France

    G. L. J. A. Rikken

Authors
  1. B. A. van Tiggelen
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  2. S. Kawka
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  3. G. L. J. A. Rikken
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Correspondence to B. A. van Tiggelen.

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van Tiggelen, B.A., Kawka, S. & Rikken, G.L.J.A. QED corrections to the electromagnetic Abraham force. Eur. Phys. J. D 66, 272 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2012-30118-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2012-30118-1

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