02-269 Marcel Griesemer

Exponential Decay and Ionization Thresholds in Non-Relativistic Quantum Electrodynamics (270K, Postscript) Jun 17, 02

Abstract , Paper (src), View paper (auto. generated ps), Index of related papers

Abstract. Spatial localization for quantum mechanical particles (electrons) interacting with quantized radiation (photons) is studied at energies below the ionization threshold. We give two definitions of the ionization threshold. One in terms of minimal energies of non-localized states, and a second one in terms of spectral data of cluster Hamiltonians. We show that these definitions agree, and that all states in the spectral subspace of energies below the ionization threshold decay exponentially in the particle coordinates. The latter result is derived from a new, general result on exponential decay tailored to fit our problem, but applicable to many non-relativistic quantum systems outside quantum electrodynamics as well.

Files: 02-269.src( 02-269.comments , 02-269.keywords , decay.ps )