Structure and self-energy of the electron

Abstract

The region very close to an electron ( r ≲ r 0 = e 2 / mc 2 ≈2.8×10 −13 cm) is, according to quantum electrodynamics, a seething maelstrom of virtual electron–positron pairs flashing in and out of existence. To take account of this well-established physical reality, a phenomenological representation for vacuum polarization is introduced into the framework of classical electrodynamics. Such a model enables a consistent picture of classical point charges with finite electromagnetic self-energy. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001