Relativistic cut-off for quantum electrodynamics

Abstract

A relativistic cut-off of high frequency quanta, similar to that suggested by Bopp, is shown to produce a finite invariant self-energy for a free electron. The electromagnetic line shift for a bound electron comes out as given by Bethe and Weissk opf's wave packet prescription. The scattering of an electron in a potential, without radiation, is discussed. The cross section remains finite. The problem of polarization of the vacuum is not solved. Otherwise, the results will in general agree essentially with those calculated by the prescription of Schwinger. An alternative cut-off procedure analogous to one proposed by Wataghin, which eliminates high frequency intermediate states, is shown to do the same things but to offer to solve vacuum polarization problems as well.