ACCURATE SCREENED QED CALCULATIONS IN HIGH-Z MANY-ELECTRON IONS

We describe a practical, rigorous, QED procedure for performing accurate calculations of the screened self-energy for high-Z ions based on a realistic local atomic potential. Using a basis-set algorithm, we show that the procedure involves a rapidly convergent partial-wave expansion that, in contrast to previous methods, requires explicit computation of only the first few partial waves. We apply the method to the 2s-2p1/2 transition of Li-like U, the 3s-3P3/2 transition of Na-like Pt, and the 4s-4p1/2 transition in Cu-like Bi. When combined with calculations of the screened Uehling vacuum-polarization term and earlier correlation calculations, the results agree with experiment to within several tenths of an eV.