Reexamination of helium fine structure

Abstract

In order to explain discrepancies between theoretical predictions and experimental data for the helium fine structure, we check and recalculate all theoretical contributions up to orders mα^7 and m^2/Mα^6. The previous result for the mα^7 correction is improved by a much more accurate calculation of relativistic corrections to the Bethe logarithm. The theoretical values of the 2^3P_0-2^3P_1 and 2^3P_1-2^3P_2 fine structure intervals in helium are, correspondingly, ν_{01} = 29616946.2(1.6) kHz and ν_{12} = 2291177.3(1.6) kHz, with the uncertanties being due to higher-order effects. For the small interval ν_{12}, the theoretical value agrees with the experimental data, whereas for the large interval ν_{01}, a discrepancy of about 3 standard deviations is present.

19 pages

References in corpus (3)

• ${\alpha }^4$ Ry corrections to singlet states of helium
• Nonrelativistic QED approach to the Lamb shift
• Improved theory of helium fine structure

Cited by in corpus (22)

• CODATA Recommended Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants: 2010
• Cold and trapped metastable noble gases
• Theoretical energies of low-lying states of light helium-like ions
• Fine structure of helium-like ions and determination of the fine structure constant
• Frequency metrology of helium around 1083 nm and determination of the nuclear charge radius
• Testing fundamental interactions on the helium atom
• Theoretical transition frequencies beyond 0.1 ppb accuracy in H${}_2^{+}$, HD${}^{+}$, and antiprotonic helium
• A Determination of the Fine Structure Constant using Precision Measurements of Helium Fine Structure
• Precision Measurement for Metastable Helium Atoms of the 413 nm Tune-Out Wavelength at Which the Atomic Polarizability Vanishes
• Complete ${\alpha }^{7}m$ Lamb shift of helium triplet states
• Ultrahigh-precision measurement of the $n=2$ triplet P fine structure of atomic helium using frequency-offset separated oscillatory fields
• Calculation of the nonrelativistic Bethe logarithm in the velocity gauge
• Quantum electrodynamic calculation of the hyperfine structure of 3He
• Relativistic corrections to the Bethe logarithm for the $2^{3}S$ and $2^{3}P$ states of He
• Atomic structure calculations of helium with correlated exponential functions
• Nonradiative ${\alpha }^{7}m$ QED effects in Lamb shift of helium triplet states
• Helium fine structure theory for determination of α
• Radiative ${\mathbf{\alpha }}^7\mathbf{m}$ QED contribution to the helium Lamb shift
• Higher-order corrections to spin-orbit and spin-spin tensor interactions in hydrogen molecular ions: theory and application to H${}_2^{+}$
• Higher-order QED corrections to the hyperfine splitting in ${}^3$He
• Fine structure of helium and light helium-like ions
• Relativistic Bethe logarithm for triplet states of helium-like ions