Vacuum polarization in heavy atoms

Abstract

We formulate the Hartree-Fock method using a functional integral approach. Then we consider a nonperturbative component of the vacuum polarization. For the Dirac-Coulomb operator the renormalization flow of the vacuum polarization is calculated numerically. For the Hartree-Fock operator the polarization is obtained by integrating an appropriately rescaled flow. The text includes an approximate calculation of the vacuum polarization in Uranium