Breakdown of the expansion of finite-size corrections to the hydrogen Lamb shift in moments of charge distribution

TL;DR

This paper reveals limitations in the standard finite-size correction approach to the hydrogen Lamb shift, especially when nuclear form factors have non-smooth features, impacting the proton size puzzle resolution.

Contribution

It demonstrates the breakdown of the moments expansion for finite-size effects and emphasizes the need for precise knowledge of the proton form factor at low energies.

Findings

The moments expansion fails with non-smooth nuclear form factors.

The de Rújula model does not resolve the proton size puzzle.

Tiny form factor variations can explain the puzzle.

Abstract

We quantify a limitation in the usual accounting of the finite-size effects, where the leading $[(Z\alpha)^4]$ and subleading $[(Z\alpha)^5]$ contributions to the Lamb shift are given by the mean-square radius and the third Zemach moment of the charge distribution. In the presence of any non-smooth behaviour of the nuclear form factor at scales comparable to the inverse Bohr radius, the expansion of the Lamb shift in the moments breaks down. This is relevant for some of the explanations of the "proton size puzzle". We find, for instance, that the de R\'ujula toy model of the proton form factor does not resolve the puzzle as claimed, despite the large value of the third Zemach moment. Without relying on the radii expansion, we show how tiny, milli-percent (pcm) changes in the proton electric form factor at a MeV scale would be able to explain the puzzle. It shows that one needs to know all the soft contributions to proton electric form factor to pcm accuracy for a precision extraction of the proton charge radius from atomic Lamb shifts.