LEADING RADIATIVE-CORRECTIONS FOR ATOMS IN THE DIRAC-FOCK APPROXIMATION

Previous work by the first two authors, in which analytical expressions were obtained for the low virtual photon frequency (Bethe log and constant log) contributions to leading radiative corrections in the Dirac-Fock (DF) approximation of many-electron atoms, has been extended to all leading radiative corrections, including those contributed by high virtual photon frequencies. The photon cutoff frequency cancels out when the low and high frequency contributions are combined. The resulting analytic expressions have a simple structure. They can be divided into contributions from core and valence electrons and photon exchange between valence and core electrons. The results obtained correspond in some detail to those obtained many years ago in leading order for positronium, Helium and Hydrogen (including leading recoil effects in radiative corrections for the latter). Leading next order αZ corrections are also obtained, so that extension of the results to isoelectronic sequences of atoms with moderate values of Z can also be considered. © 1992.