Quantum derivation of the use of classical electromagnetic potentials in relativistic Coulomb excitation

Abstract

We prove that a relativistic Coulomb excitation calculation in which the classical electromagnetic field of the projectile is used to induce transitions between target states gives the same target transition amplitudes, to all orders of perturbation theory, as would a calculation in which the interaction between projectile and target is mediated by a quantized electromagnetic field.

Comments: 1 .zip file containing LaTex source plus three figures as .eps files