Sixth-Order Vacuum-Polarization Contribution to the Lamb Shift of the Muonic Hydrogen

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  • 21 December 1998
Abstract
The sixth-order electron-loop vacuum-polarization contribution to the $2P_{1/2} - 2S_{1/2}$ Lamb shift of the muonic hydrogen ($\mu^{-} p^+$ bound state) has been evaluated numerically. Our result is 0.005295(1) meV. This eliminates the largest uncertainty in the theoretical calculation. Combined with the proposed precision measurement of the Lamb shift it will lead to a very precise determination of the proton charge radius.