Three-loop radiative corrections to Lamb shift and hyperfine splitting

Abstract

We consider three-loop radiative corrections to the Lamb shift and hyperfine splitting. Corrections of order α3(Zα)5m are the largest still unknown contributions to the Lamb shift in hydrogen. We calculate radiative corrections to the Lamb shift and hyperfine splitting generated by the diagrams with insertions of one radiative photon and electron polarization loops in the graphs with two external photons. We also obtain corrections generated by the gauge-invariant sets of diagrams with two reducible radiative photon insertions in the electron line and a polarization operator insertion in one of the radiative photons, and diagrams with two reducible radiative photon insertions in the electron line and a polarization operator insertion in one of the external photons. Corrections to the Lamb shift and hyperfine splitting generated by the diagrams with insertions of the three-loop one-particle reducible diagrams with radiative photons in the electron line are calculated in the Yennie gauge.PACS Nos.: 12.20.Ds, 31.30.Jv, 32.10.Fn, 36.10.Dr