Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-1989

Abstract

The question considered is the effect on the canonical commutation rules of mass renormalization in quantum electrodynamics. This is investigated by considering the quantum Langevin equation for a charged quantum oscillator interacting with the radiation field via dipole interaction. Explicit expressions for the commutator are obtained for finite cutoff frequency as well as the large-cutoff limit. The surprising result obtained is that the exactly equal-time (canonical) commutator involves the bare mass, while the corresponding commutator for infinitesimally displaced times involves the renormalized mass. © 1989 Plenum Publishing Corporation.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of Statistical Physics

First Page

803

Last Page

810

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