Abstract
The excited states of a charged particle interacting with the quantized electromagnetic field and an external potential all decay, but such a particle should have a true ground state - one that minimizes the energy and satisfies the Schrödinger equation. We prove quite generally that this state exists for all values of the fine-structure constant and the ultraviolet cutoff. We also show the same thing for a many-particle system under physically natural conditions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | The Stability of Matter |
Subtitle of host publication | From Atoms to Stars: Fourth Edition |
Publisher | Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
Pages | 625-663 |
Number of pages | 39 |
ISBN (Print) | 3540420835, 9783540222125 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2005 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Physics and Astronomy