Relativistic nuclear recoil effects in hyperfine splitting of hydrogenic systems

Abstract

Finite nuclear mass $(Z\alpha {)}^{2}m/M{E}_F$ corrections to the hyperfine splitting in hydrogenic systems are calculated using a combined relativistic heavy particle and nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics. The obtained results are in disagreement with previous calculations by Bodwin and Yennie [Phys. Rev. D {\bf 37}, 498 (1988)]. The comparison of improved theoretical predictions with the corresponding measurements in hydrogen reveals $2\sigma$ discrepancy, which may indicate problems with the proton structure corrections.

14 pages, corrected sign for the relativistic recoil correction in Table I and updated references