Premium
Quantum classical correspondence in nonrelativistic electrodynamics
Author(s) -
Ritchie Burke,
Weatherford Charles A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of quantum chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.484
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-461X
pISSN - 0020-7608
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-461x(1999)75:4/5<655::aid-qua32>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - classical electromagnetism , physics , operator (biology) , correspondence principle (sociology) , lamb shift , field (mathematics) , quantum mechanics , quantum field theory , interpretation (philosophy) , quantum , field theory (psychology) , quantum electrodynamics , mathematical physics , theoretical physics , classical mechanics , electron , mathematics , chemistry , biochemistry , repressor , computer science , transcription factor , economics , pure mathematics , market economy , gene , programming language
A form of classical electrodynamic field exists which gives exact agreement with the operator field of quantum electrodynamics (QED) for the Lamb shift of a harmonically bound point electron. Here it is pointed out that this form of classical theory, with its physically acceptable interpretation, is the result of an unconventional resolution of a mathematically ambiguous term in classical field theory. Finally, a quantum classical correspondence principle is shown to exist in the sense that the classical field and expectation value of the QED operator field are identical, if retardation is neglected in the latter. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 75: 655–658, 1999