Ground state and charge renormalization in a nonlinear model of relativistic atoms (Q731301)

\(D^0:=-i\sum_{k= 1\sim 3}\alpha_k\partial_k+\beta\), \(\alpha_j, \beta: 4\times 4\) Dirac matrices. \(P\): a self-adjoint operator \(0\leq P\leq 1\) acting on \(H= L^2(\mathbb{R}^3,\mathbb{C}^4)\). \(P^0_-:= \chi_{(-\infty,0]}(D^0)\) is the negative spectral projector of \(D^0\). \(P^0_+:= 1- P^0_-\), \(Q= P- P^0_-\). \(D^\zeta(p):= (\alpha\dot p+\beta)(1+ \zeta(|p|^2/\Lambda^2))\), \(\zeta: [0,\infty)\to [0,\infty)\), \(\Lambda\) ultraviolet cut-off. The authors study the rBDF energy which descrives the relativistic electrons interacting with the Dirac sea, in an external electrostatic potential: \[ \begin{multlined} \varepsilon_r^\nu(Q):= \text{tr}(P^0- D^\zeta QP^0_-)+ \text{tr}(P^0_+ D^\zeta QP^0_+)- \alpha D(\nu D(\nu(x), \rho_Q(x))+\\ (\alpha/2)D(\rho_Q(x), \rho_Q(x)),\end{multlined} \] \[ D(f,g)= 4\pi \int_{\mathbb{R}^3} |k|^{-2}\overline{\widehat f}(k)\widehat g(k)\,dk. \] \(\rho_Q(x)= \text{tr}_{\mathbb{C}^4}(Q(x, x))\) for \(Q\) acting on \(H\) with kernel \(Q(x,y)\). Minimizers: \(E_r^\nu(q)= \underset{Q\in K(q)}{}{\text{inf}}\varepsilon^\nu_r(Q)\) in \(K(q)= \{Q; -P^0_-\leq Q\leq P^0_+\}\), \[ \{\text{tr}(P^0_- QP^0_-)+ \text{tr}(P^0_+ QP^0_+)= q\}\subset \{Q; \text{tr}(|Q|^2)< \infty\}. \] Results: (I) The minimizers exist if and only if \(q\in [q_m,q_M]\). (II) In a nonrelativistic limit ``\(\alpha\to 0\), \(\Lambda\to\infty\) such that \(\alpha\log\Lambda\to 9\)'', one obtains \(0= q_m< Z\leq q_M\leq 2Z\), an estimate on the number of electrons bounded by a nucleus of charge \(Z= \int\nu(x)\,dx\). (III) \(Q= \chi_{(-\infty,\mu)} (D_Q)- P^0_-+\delta\), \(D_Q= D^0+\alpha(\rho_Q- \nu)\ddag|\cdot|^{-1}\). (IV) \(\rho_Q(x)\in L^1(\mathbb{R}^3)\), and \(\int_{\mathbb{R}^3}\rho_Q(x)\,dx- Z= (q-Z)/(1+ \alpha B^\zeta_\Lambda(0))\), \(\alpha_{\text{phys}} \sim\alpha(1+ 2\alpha/(3\pi/(3\pi) \log\Lambda)^{-1}\) hold.