Recent Advances in the Theory of the Hydrogen Lamb Shift

H. Grotch 104 Davey Laboratory, Department of Physics, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA

Dedicated to Prof. Iwo Białynicki-Birula on the occasion of his 60th birthday The theory of the 2S1/2-2P1/2 Lamb shift of hydrogen is discussed and

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compared to experiment. Recent corrections from radiative recoil of order α(Zα)5m2/M and pure recoil of order (Zα)6m2/M are reviewed. Contributions of order α2(Zα)5m have been calculated from certain classes of diagrams. These are described while other as yet uncalculated terms are mentioned. The largest error in the theory is the uncertain measured value of the proton electromagnetic radius.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.85.741 PACS numbers: 12.20.Ds, 12.20.Fv, 11.10.St