Nuclear Polarization Corrections to mu-d Atoms in Zero-Range Approximation

TL;DR

This paper develops nuclear polarization corrections to the mu-d atom's Lamb shift, showing they agree with recent calculations and can be simplified, potentially reducing theoretical uncertainties below 1%.

Contribution

It introduces a zero-range approximation approach to nuclear polarization corrections, simplifying the dominant correction term and analyzing its relation to the third-Zemach-moment.

Findings

Correction agrees with recent calculations within 1%

Third-Zemach-moment cancels part of the polarization correction

Potential to reduce theoretical uncertainty below 1%

Abstract

Nuclear polarization corrections to the 2P-2S Lamb shift in mu-d atoms are developed in order alpha^5 and are shown to agree with a recent calculation. The nuclear physics in the resulting corrections is then evaluated in zero-range approximation. The dominant part of the correction is very simple in form and differs from a recent potential model calculation by less than 1%. It is also demonstrated how the third-Zemach-moment contribution largely cancels against part of the polarization correction, as it did in e-d atoms and does so exactly for point-like nucleons. This suggests that it may be possible to reduce the uncertainty in the theory (of which nuclear polarization is the largest contributor) to less than 1%.