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The complete second-order hyperfine-interaction correction is calculated for centroid energy levels of H, D, and $^3$He atoms. For $^3$He, the corrections of $-2.075$ kHz and $-0.305$ kHz beyond the leading hyperfine-mixing contribution are obtained for the $2^1S$ and $2^3S$ states, respectively. These results shift the nuclear charge radii difference derived from the $^3$He - $^4$He isotope shift and largely resolve the previously reported disagreement between the muonic and electronic helium determinations [Y. van der Werf et al., arXiv:2306.02333 (2023); K. Schuhmann et al., arXiv:2305.11679 (2023)]., Comment: 11 pages

The two-loop self-energy correction to the bound-electron $g$-factor in hydrogenlike ions is investigated, taking into account the electron-nucleus interaction exactly. This all-order calculation is required to improve the total theoretical uncertainty of the $g$-factor, which is limited by the fact that two-loop self-energy corrections have only been calculated so far in the form of an expansion in $Z\alpha$. Here, $Z$ is the nuclear charge number and $\alpha$ is the fine-structure constant. In this work, we report calculations of the last missing parts of the total two-loop self-energy correction, exactly in $Z\alpha$. We apply our theory to the recently measured $g$-factor of the hydrogenlike $^{118}$Sn$^{49+}$ ion [J. Morgner et al., Nature 622, 53 (2023)] and, with a factor of 8, improve the accuracy of its state-of-the-art theoretical value by almost one order of magnitude, enabling more detailed tests of quantum electrodynamics and new physics in strong fields., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

Many powerful tests of the Standard Model of particle physics and searches for new physics with precision atomic spectroscopy are plagued by our lack of knowledge of nuclear properties. Ideally, such properties may be derived from precise measurements of the most sensitive and theoretically best-understood observables, often found in hydrogen-like systems. While these measurements are abundant for the electric properties of nuclei, they are scarce for the magnetic properties, and precise experimental results are limited to the lightest of nuclei. Here, we focus on $^9$Be which offers the unique possibility to utilize comparisons between different charge states available for high-precision spectroscopy in Penning traps to test theoretical calculations typically obscured by nuclear structure. In particular, we perform the first high-precision spectroscopy of the $1s$ hyperfine and Zeeman structure in hydrogen-like $^9$Be$^{3+}$. We determine its effective Zemach radius with an uncertainty of $500$ ppm, and its bare nuclear magnetic moment with an uncertainty of $0.6$ parts-per-billion (ppb) - uncertainties unmatched beyond hydrogen. Moreover, we compare to measurements conducted on the three-electron charge state $^9$Be$^{+}$, which, for the first time, enables testing the calculation of multi-electron diamagnetic shielding effects of the nuclear magnetic moment at the ppb level. In addition, we test quantum electrodynamics (QED) methods used for the calculation of the hyperfine splitting. Our results serve as a crucial benchmark essential for transferring high-precision results of nuclear magnetic properties across different electronic configurations.

The quantum electrodynamic formalism is presented for the systematic and exact in $Z\,\alpha$ derivation of nuclear recoil corrections in hydrogenic systems., Comment: 7 pages, with editorial corrections

Ab initio QED calculations of the nuclear magnetic shielding constant in helium-like ions are presented. We combine the nonrelativistic QED approach based on an expansion in powers of the fine-structure constant $\alpha$ and the so-called ``all-order'' QED approach which includes all orders in the parameter $Z\alpha$ but uses a perturbation expansion in the parameter $1/Z$ (where $Z$ is the nuclear charge number). The combination of the two complementary methods makes our treatment applicable both to low-$Z$ and high-$Z$ ions. Our calculations confirm the presence of a rare antiscreening effect for the relativistic shielding correction and demonstrate the importance of the inclusion of the negative-energy part of the Dirac spectrum.

We present an analytical calculation of the complete $\alpha^6$ correction to energies of $nP$-levels of two-body systems consisting of the spin-$0$ or $1/2$ extended-size particles with arbitrary masses and magnetic moments. The obtained results apply to a wide class of two-body systems such as hydrogen, positronium, muonium, and pionic or aniprotonic helium ion. We found an additional $\alpha^6$ correction for $nP$-levels of positronium, which was previously overlooked. Our results are also relevant for light muonic atoms, whose accurate theoretical predictions are required for extracting the nuclear charge radii., Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure, corrected \delta E_3

The nuclear recoil effect, known also as the mass shift, is one of theoretical contributions to the energy levels in muonic atoms. Accurate theoretical predictions are therefore needed for extracting e.g. the nuclear charge radii from experimental spectra. We report rigorous QED calculations of the nuclear recoil correction in muonic atoms, carried out to all orders in the nuclear binding strength parameter $Z\alpha$ (where $Z$ is the nuclear charge number and $\alpha$ is the fine structure constant). The calculations show differences with the previous approximate treatment of this effect, most pronounced for the lowest-lying bound states. The calculated recoil correction was found to be sensitive to the nuclear charge radius, which needs to be accounted for when extracting nuclear parameters from the measured spectra., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables

We present a detailed derivation of the QED effects of order $\alpha^7\,m$ to the hyperfine structure (hfs) of the $^3S$ states of helium-like ions and perform numerical calculations for $^6$Li$^+$ and $^7$Li$^+$. By comparing the theoretical point-nucleus results with the measured hfs of Li$^+$, we determine the nuclear-structure contribution parameterized in terms of the effective Zemach radius. Using the experimental hfs results for Li$^+$, we obtain accurate predictions for the hfs of $^6$Li$^{2+}$ and $^7$Li$^{2+}$, for which no experimental data is available so far. By examining the normalized differences of the hfs of Li$^{+}$ and Li and of the corresponding isotope-shift differences, we test the consistency of the hfs measurements in $^{6,7}$Li$^{+}$ and $^{6,7}$Li.

We report an accurate determination of the nuclear magnetic dipole moments of $^{6,7}$Li from the measured ratio of the nuclear and the electron $g$-factors in atomic Li. The obtained results significantly improve upon the literature values and stress the importance of reliable theoretical calculations of the nuclear shielding corrections.

Many-body perturbation theory is implemented in order to calculate the isotope shifts of $4s$, $4p_{1/2}$, $4p_{3/2}$, $3d_{3/2}$, and $3d_{5/2}$ energy levels of Ca$^+$, for even isotopes $A=$40, 42, 44, 46, 48. The results are presented for mass shift and field shift, as well as for higher-order field shifts, quadratic mass shift, nuclear polarization correction, and the cross term between field and mass shifts. Additionally, we examine King-plot nonlinearities introduced by the higher-order isotope-shift corrections to the combinations of $3d_{3/2}\rightarrow 4s$, $3d_{5/2}\rightarrow 4s$, and $4p_{1/2}\rightarrow 4s$ transitions. For these transitions, second-order mass shift and nuclear polarization correction are identified as the dominant sources of King plot nonlinearity., Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure

We present a calculation of the hyperfine splitting of the $2^3S$ state in the $^3$He atom with inclusion of all QED effects up to $\alpha^3E_F$, where $E_F$ is the Fermi splitting. Using the experimental value of the $1S$ hyperfine splitting in $^3$He$^+$, we obtain the theoretical prediction for $^3$He of $\nu_\mathrm{hfs}= -6\,739\,701\,181(41)$ Hz, which is in perfect agreement with the experimental value $-6\,739\,701\,177(16)$ Hz [S. D. Rosner and F. M. Pipkin, Phys. Rev. A ${\bf 1}$, 571 (1970)]. This result constitutes a 40-fold improvement in precision as compared to the previous value and is the most accurate theoretical prediction ever obtained for a non-hydrogenic system.

The nuclear polarizability effects in hyperfine splitting of light atomic systems are not well known. The only system for which they were previously calculated is the hydrogen atom, where these effects were shown to contribute about 5\% of the total nuclear correction. One generally expects the polarizability effects to become more pronounced for composite nuclei. In the present work we determine the nuclear polarizability correction to the hyperfine splitting in He$^+$ by comparing the effective Zemach radius deduced from the experimental hyperfine splitting with the Zemach radius obtained from the electron scattering. We obtain a surprising result that the nuclear polarizability of the helion yields just 3\% of the total nuclear correction, which is smaller than for the proton., Comment: 5 pages, corrected misprint in Eq. (23)

We perform ab initio calculations of the QED effects of order $m\alpha^7$ for the $2^3S$ and $2^3P$ states of He-like ions. The computed effects are combined with previously calculated energies from [V. A. Yerokhin and K. Pachucki, Phys. Rev. A 81, 022507 (2010)], thus improving the theoretical accuracy by an order of magnitude. The obtained theoretical values for the $2^3S$-$2^3P_{0,2}$ transition energies are in good agreement with available experimental results and with previous calculations performed to all orders in the nuclear binding strength parameter $Z\alpha$. For the ionization energies, however, we find some inconsistency between the $Z\alpha$-expansion and all-order calculations, which might be related to a similar discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental results for the ionization energies of helium [V. Patk\'o\v{s} et al., Phys. Rev. A 103, 042809 (2021)].

We investigate the modification of the transverse electromagnetic interaction between two point-like particles when one particle acquires a finite size. It is shown that the correct treatment of such interaction cannot be accomplished within the Breit approximation but should be addressed within the QED. The complete QED formula is derived for the finite-size nuclear recoil, exact in the coupling strength parameter $Z\,\alpha$. Numerical calculations are carried out for a wide range of $Z$ and verified against the $(Z\,\alpha)^5$ contribution. The comparison with the $Z\,\alpha$ expansion identifies the contribution of order $(Z\,\alpha)^6$, which is linear in the nuclear radius and numerically dominates over the lower-order $(Z\,\alpha)^5$ term., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, corrected description of $(Z \alpha)^5$ correction

We report a calculation of relativistic corrections of order $m\alpha^7$ to the Bethe logarithm for the $2^3S$ and $2^3P$ states of helium-like ions. The calculation is required for improving the accuracy of theoretical energies of helium-like ions and for checking the evaluation of the $m\alpha^7$ effects in helium performed in [V. Patk\'o\v{s}, V. A. Yerokhin, K. Pachucki, Phys. Rev. A 103, 042809 (2021)], where a significant discrepancy with experimental results was found. The large-$Z$ limit of the relativistic Bethe logarithm is determined numerically, in excellent agreement with the analytical results obtained from the hydrogen theory.

A calculation of two-electron QED effects to all orders in the nuclear binding strength parameter $Z\alpha$ is presented for the ground and $n = 2$ excited states of helium-like ions. After subtracting the first terms of the $Z\alpha$ expansion from the all-order results, we identify the higher-order QED effects of order $m\alpha^7$ and higher. Combining the higher-order remainder with the results complete through order $m\alpha^6$ from [V. A. Yerokhin and K. Pachucki, Phys. Rev. A 81, 022507 (2010)], we obtain the most accurate theoretical predictions for the ground and non-mixing $n=2$ states of helium-like ions with $Z = 5-30$. For the mixing $2^1 P_1$ and $2^3 P_1$ states, we extend the previous calculation by evaluating the higher-order mixing correction and show that it defines the uncertainty of theoretical calculations in the $LS$ coupling for $Z > 10$.

Optical atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement devices ever constructed and have found many applications in fundamental science and technology. The use of highly charged ions (HCI) as a new class of references for highest accuracy clocks and precision tests of fundamental physics has long been motivated by their extreme atomic properties and reduced sensitivity to perturbations from external electric and magnetic fields compared to singly charged ions or neutral atoms. Here we present the first realisation of this new class of clocks, based on an optical magnetic-dipole transition in Ar$^{13+}$. Its comprehensively evaluated systematic frequency uncertainty of $2.2\times10^{-17}$ is comparable to that of many optical clocks in operation. From clock comparisons we improve by eight and nine orders of magnitude upon the uncertainties for the absolute transition frequency and isotope shift ($^{40}$Ar vs. $^{36}$Ar), respectively. These measurements allow us to probe the largely unexplored quantum electrodynamic nuclear recoil, presented as part of improved calculations of the isotope shift which reduce the uncertainty of previous theory by a factor of three. This work establishes forbidden optical transitions in HCI as references for cutting-edge optical clocks and future high-sensitivity searches for physics beyond the standard model., Comment: Main: 21 pages, 3 figures. Supplement: 20 pages, 2 figures. Accepted version

Investigations of isotope shifts of atomic spectral lines provide insights into nuclear properties. Deviations from the linear dependence of the isotope shifts of two atomic transitions on nuclear parameters, leading to a nonlinearity of the so-called King plot, are actively studied as a possible way of searching for the new physics. In the present work we calculate the King-plot nonlinearities originating from the Standard-Model atomic theory. The calculation is performed both analytically, for a model example applicable for an arbitrary atom, and numerically, for one-electron ions. It is demonstrated that the Standard-Model predictions of the King-plot nonlinearities are hypersensitive to experimental errors of nuclear charge radii. This effect significantly complicates identifications of possible King-plot nonlinearities originating from the new physics.

The technique of quantum electrodynamics (QED) calculations of energy levels in the helium atom is reviewed. The calculations start with the solution of the Schr\"odinger equation and account for relativistic and QED effects by perturbation expansion in the fine-structure constant $\alpha$. The nonrelativistic wave function is represented as a linear combination of basis functions depending on all three interparticle radial distances, $r_1$, $r_2$ and $r = |\vec{r}_1-\vec{r}_2|$. The choice of the exponential basis functions of the form $\exp(-\alpha r_1 -\beta r_2 -\gamma r)$ allows us to construct an accurate and compact representation of the nonrelativistic wave function and to efficiently compute matrix elements of numerous singular operators representing relativistic and QED effects. Calculations of the leading QED effects of order $\alpha^5m$ (where $m$ is the electron mass) are complemented with the systematic treatment of higher-order $\alpha^6m$ and $\alpha^7m$ QED effects.

We have derived the complete formula for the $\alpha^7\,m$ contribution to energy levels of an arbitrary triplet state of the helium atom, performed numerical calculations for the $2^3S$ and $2^3P$ states, and thus improved the theoretical accuracy of ionization energies of these states by more than an order of magnitude. Using the nuclear charge radius extracted from the muonic helium Lamb shift, we obtain the theoretical prediction in excellent agreement with the measured $2^3S - 2^3P$ transition energy [X.~Zheng et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 199}, 263002 (2017)]. At the same time we observe significant discrepancies with experiments for the $2^3S- 3^3D$ and $2^3P - 3^3D$ transitions., Comment: 10 pages, added a few references

We present a derivation of the last unknown part of the $\alpha^7m$ contribution to the Lamb shift of a two-electron atom, induced by the radiative QED effects beyond the Bethe logarithm. This derivation is performed in the framework of nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics and is valid for the triplet (spin $S = 1$) atomic states. The obtained formulas are free from any divergences and are suitable for a numerical evaluation. This opens a way for a complete numerical calculation of the $\alpha^7m$ QED effects in helium, which will allow an accurate determination of the nuclear charge radius from measurements of helium transition frequencies., Comment: 28 pages, corrected numerous misprints

Large-scale {\em ab initio} QED calculations are performed for the $2p_{3/2}$--$2p_{1/2}$ fine-structure interval of Li-like ions with nuclear charges $Z = 5\,$--$\,92$. Improved theoretical predictions are obtained by combining together two complementary theoretical methods, namely, the approach that accounts for all orders in the binding nuclear strength and the nonrelativistic QED approach that accounts for all orders in the nonrelativistic electron-electron interaction. The resulting unified approach provides theoretical predictions which are more accurate than the available experimental results across the interval of the nuclear charges considered.

Quantum electrodynamical (QED) calculations of ionization energies of the $1snd\,D$ states are performed for the helium atom. We reproduce the previously known relativistic and QED effects up to order $m\alpha^5$ and extend the theory by calculating the complete $m\alpha^6$ correction. The total contribution of the $m\alpha^6$ effects is shown to be much smaller than previously estimated, due to a large cancelation between the radiative and non-radiative parts of this correction. As a result of our calculations, we confirm the previously reported deviations between measured transition energies and theoretical predictions for the $nD$--$2S$ and $nD$--$2P$ transitions. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are analyzed.

Modern spectroscopic experiments in few-electron atoms reached the level of precision at which an accurate description of quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects is mandatory. In many cases, theoretical treatment of QED effects has to be performed without any expansion in the nuclear binding strength parameter $Z\alpha$ (where $Z$ is the nuclear charge number and $\alpha$ is the fine-structure constant). Such calculations involve multiple summations over the whole spectrum of the Dirac equation in the presence of the binding nuclear field, which can be evaluated in terms of the Dirac Green function. In this paper we describe the technique of numerical calculations of QED corrections with the Dirac Green function, developed in numerous investigations during the last two decades.

Theoretical predictions for the Lamb shift in helium are limited by unknown quantum electrodynamic effects of the order $\alpha^7m$, where $\alpha$ is the fine-structure constant and $m$ is the electron mass. We make an important step towards the complete calculation of these effects by deriving the most challenging part, which is induced by the virtual photon exchange between all three helium particles, the two electrons, and the nucleus. The complete calculation of the $\alpha^7m$ effect including the radiative corrections will allow comparing of the nuclear charge radii determined from the electronic and muonic helium atoms and thus provide a stringent test of the Standard Model of fundamental interactions., Comment: 35 pages, 2 figures, includes corrections from Erratum

The Gamma Factory initiative proposes to develop novel research tools at CERN by producing, accelerating and storing highly relativistic, partially stripped ion beams in the SPS and LHC storage rings. By exciting the electronic degrees of freedom of the stored ions with lasers, high-energy narrow-band photon beams will be produced by properly collimating the secondary radiation that is peaked in the direction of ions' propagation. Their intensities, up to $10^{17}$ photons per second, will be several orders of magnitude higher than those of the presently operating light sources in the particularly interesting $\gamma$--ray energy domain reaching up to 400 MeV. This article reviews opportunities that may be afforded by utilizing the primary beams for spectroscopy of partially stripped ions circulating in the storage ring, as well as the atomic-physics opportunities afforded by the use of the secondary high-energy photon beams. The Gamma Factory will enable ground breaking experiments in spectroscopy and novel ways of testing fundamental symmetries of nature., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures

We consider a bound system of charged particles moving in an external electromagnetic field, including leading relativistic corrections. The difference from the point particle with a magnetic moment comes from the presence of polarizabilities. Due to the lack of separation of the total momentum from the internal degrees of freedom, the notion of polarizability of the bound state immersed in the continuum spectrum of the global motion is nontrivial. We introduce a bound-continuum perturbation theory and obtain a complete formula for the equation of motion for a polarizable bound system, such as atom, ion, or the nucleus. This formula may find applications when high precision is sought and small effects due polarizabilities are important., Comment: 8 pages

For more than 40 years, most astrophysical observations and laboratory studies of two key soft x-ray diagnostic $2p-3d$ transitions, $3C$ and $3D$, in Fe XVII ions found oscillator strength ratios $f(3C)/f(3D)$ disagreeing with theory, but uncertainties had precluded definitive statements on this much studied conundrum. Here, we resonantly excite these lines using synchrotron radiation at PETRA III, and reach, at a millionfold lower photon intensities, a 10 times higher spectral resolution, and 3 times smaller uncertainty than earlier work. Our final result of $f(3C)/f(3D) = 3.09(8)(6)$ supports many of the earlier clean astrophysical and laboratory observations, while departing by five sigmas from our own newest large-scale ab initio calculations, and excluding all proposed explanations, including those invoking nonlinear effects and population transfers., Comment: Main text (6 pages, 3 figures), Supplmentary Material (8 pages, 4 figure), Published in Physical Review Letters

We perform quantum electrodynamic calculations of the ionization energy of the $1s3d$ states of the $^4$He atom, including a complete evaluation of the $m\alpha^6$ correction. We find a large contribution from the nonradiative part of this correction, which has not been accounted for in previous investigations. The additional contribution shifts theoretical predictions for ionization energies by about 10$\,\sigma$. Despite this shift, we confirm the previously reported systematic deviations between measured experimental results and theoretical predictions for transitions involving $3D$ states. The reason for these deviations remains unknown.

Nuclear structure corrections of orders $Z\alpha\, E_F$ and $(Z\alpha)^2 E_F$ are calculated for the hyperfine splitting of the muonic deuterium. The obtained results disagree with previous calculations and lead to a $5\,\sigma$ disagreement with the current experimental value of the $2S$ hyperfine splitting in $\mu$D., Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, updated neutron contribution

Theoretical calculations of the Lamb shift provide the basis required for the determination of the Rydberg constant from spectroscopic measurements in hydrogen. The recent high-precision determination of the proton charge radius drastically reduced the uncertainty in the hydrogen Lamb shift originating from the proton size. As a result, the dominant theoretical uncertainty now comes from the two- and three-loop QED effects, which calls for further advances in their calculations. We review the present status of theoretical calculations of the Lamb shift in hydrogen and light hydrogen-like ions with the nuclear charge number up to $Z = 5$. Theoretical errors due to various effects are critically examined and estimated.

With this work we start a project of calculating the QED contribution of order $\alpha^7m$ to the $2^3P$-$2^3S$ transition energy in helium, aiming for an accurate determination of the nuclear charge radius $r_E$ from measurements of the corresponding transition frequency. Together with the complementary determination of $r_E$ from muonic helium, this project will provide a stringent test of universality of electromagnetic interactions of leptons in the Standard Model. We report a calculation of the relativistic corrections to the Bethe logarithm for the $2^3S$ and $2^3P$ states, which is the most numerically demanding part of the project., Comment: Includes corrections from Erratum

The complete relativistic $O(\alpha^2)$ nuclear structure correction to the energy levels of ordinary (electronic) and muonic hydrogen-like atoms is investigated. The elastic part of the nuclear structure correction is derived analytically. The resulting formula is valid for an arbitrary hydrogenic system and is much simpler than analogous expressions previously reported in the literature. The analytical result is verified by high-precision numerical calculations. The inelastic $O(\alpha^2)$ nuclear structure correction is derived for the electronic and muonic deuterium atoms. The correction comes from a three-photon exchange between the nucleus and the bound lepton and has not been considered in the literature so far. We demonstrate that in the case of deuterium, the inelastic three-photon exchange contribution is of a similar size and of the opposite sign to the corresponding elastic part and, moreover, cancels exactly the model dependence of the elastic part. The obtained results affect the determination of nuclear charge radii from the Lamb shift in ordinary and muonic atoms., Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure

We critically examine the current status of theoretical calculations of the energies, the fine structure, and the isotope shift of the lowest-lying states of helium, searching for unresolved discrepancies with experiments. Calculations are performed within the quantum electrodynamics expansion in powers of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ and the electron-to-nucleus mass ratio $m/M$. For energies, theoretical results are complete through orders $\alpha^6m$ and $\alpha^6m^2/M$, with the resulting accuracy ranging from $0.5$ to $2$~MHz for the $n=2$ states. The fine-structure splitting of the $2^3P$ state is predicted with a much better accuracy, 1.7~kHz, as a consequence of a calculation of the next-order $\alpha^7m$ effect. An excellent agreement of the theoretical predictions with the recent measurements of the fine structure provides one of the best tests of the bound-state QED in few-electron systems and determines the fine-structure constant $\alpha$ with an accuracy of 31~ppb. The isotope shift between $^3$He and $^4$He is treated theoretically with a sub-kHz accuracy, which allows for a high-precision determination of the differences of the nuclear charge radii $\delta r^2$. Several such determinations, however, yield results that are in a 4$\sigma$ disagreement with each other, what remains unexplained. Apart from this, we find no significant discrepancies between theory and experiment for the helium atom. In the future, a calculation of the next-order $\alpha^7m$ effect for energy levels will enable determinations of the nuclear charge radii from atomic transition frequencies with an accuracy better than 1\%. Combined with the complementary determinations from muonic atoms, this will provide a sensitive test of universality in electromagnetic interactions of leptons and contribute to the solution of the proton charge radius puzzle., Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure

Theory of the isotope shift of the centroid energies of light few-electron atoms is reviewed. Numerical results are presented for the isotope shift of the $2^3P$-$2^3S$ and $2^1S$-$2^3S$ transition energies of $^3$He and $^4$He. By comparing theoretical predictions for the isotope shift with the experimental results, the difference of the squares of the nuclear charge radii of $^3$He and $^4$He, $\delta R^2$, is determined with high accuracy.

The nuclear size effect on the one-loop self energy and vacuum polarization is evaluated for the 1s, 2s, 3s, 2p_{1/2}, and 2p_{3/2} states of hydrogen-like ions. The calculation is performed to all orders in the binding nuclear strength parameter Z\alpha. Detailed comparison is made with previous all-order calculations and calculations based on the expansion in the parameter Z\alpha. Extrapolation of the all-order numerical results obtained towards Z=1 provides results for the radiative nuclear size effect on the hydrogen Lamb shift.

The leading-order electron-atom bremsstrahlung is investigated within the rigorous relativistic approach based on the partial-wave representation of the Dirac wave functions in the external atomic field. Approximating the atomic target by an effective local potential, we calculate the double-differential cross section and the polarization correlations in a wide range of the impact energies. Connection between the bremsstrahlung at the hard-photon end point of the spectrum and the continuum-threshold limit of the radiative recombination is studied. A detailed analysis of the screening effect and the energy dependence of the polarization correlations is presented, with the main focus on the high impact energy region.

We present recent progress in the calculation of the helium fine-structure splitting of the 2^3P_J states, based on the quantum electrodynamic theory. Apart from the complete evaluation of m\alpha^7 and m^2/M\alpha^6 corrections, we have performed extensive tests by comparison with all experimental results for light helium-like ions and with the known large nuclear charge asymptotics of individual corrections. Our theoretical predictions are still limited by the unknown m\alpha^8 term, which is conservatively estimated to be 1.7 kHz. However, comparison with the latest experimental result for the 2^3P_0 - 2^3P_2 transition [M. Smiciklas and T. Shiner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 123001 (2010)] suggests that the higher-order contribution is in fact much smaller than the theoretical estimate. This means that the spectroscopic determination of \alpha can be significantly improved if another measurement of the 2^3P_0 - 2^3P_2 transition in helium-like Li^+ or Be^{2+} ion is performed., Comment: Proceedings of ICAP2010. A misprinted digit is corrected in Table 2

Calculational results are presented for the fine-structure splitting of the 2^3P state of helium and helium-like ions with the nuclear charge Z up to 10. Theoretical predictions are in agreement with the latest experimental results for the helium fine-structure intervals as well as with the most of the experimental data available for light helium-like ions. Comparing the theoretical value of the 2^3P_0-2^3P_1 interval in helium with the experimental result [T. Zelevinsky et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 203001 (2005)], we determine the value of the fine-structure constant \alpha with an accuracy of 31 parts per billion., Comment: proceedings of the PSAS2010 conference. One misprinted digit in Table I is corrected

The recombination of an electron with an (initially) hydrogen-like ion is investigated. The effect of the electron-electron interaction is treated rigorously to the first order in the parameter 1/Z and within the screening-potential approximation to higher orders in 1/Z, with Z being the nuclear charge number. The two-electron correction contains the dielectronic-recombination part, which contributes to the process not only under the resonance condition for the projectile energy but also in the regions far from resonances. The mechanism of the off-resonant dielectronic recombination is studied in detail., Comment: 9 pages, 2 tables, 3 figures

The paper reports a technique of evaluation of Feynman diagrams in the mixed coordinate-momentum representation. The technique is employed for a recalculation of the two-loop self-energy correction for the ground state of hydrogen-like ions with the nuclear charge numbers Z=10-30. The numerical accuracy is considerably improved as compared to the previous calculations. The higher-order (in Z\alpha) remainder function is inferred from the numerical results and extrapolated towards Z=0 and 1. The extrapolated value for hydrogen is consistent (but still not in perfect agreement) with the analytical result obtained within the perturbative approach., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables

We report a calculation of the fine structure splitting in light helium-like atoms, which accounts for all quantum electrodynamical effects up to order \alpha^5 Ry. For the helium atom, we resolve the previously reported disagreement between theory and experiment and determine the fine structure constant with an accuracy of 31 ppb. The calculational results are extensively checked by comparison with the experimental data for different nuclear charges and by evaluation of the hydrogenic limit of individual corrections., Comment: 4 pages, 3 tables, with a typo in Eq. (9) corrected

Rigorous quantum electrodynamical calculation is presented for energy levels of the 1^1S, 2^1S, 2^3S, 2^1P_1, and 2^3P_{0,1,2} states of helium-like ions with the nuclear charge Z=3...12. The calculational approach accounts for all relativistic, quantum electrodynamical, and recoil effects up to orders m\alpha^6 and m^2/M\alpha^5, thus advancing the previously reported theory of light helium-like ions by one order in \alpha., Comment: 18 pages, 9 tables, 1 figure, with several misprints corrected

The hyperfine structure (hfs) and the g factor of a bound electron are caused by external magnetic fields. For the hfs, the magnetic field is due to the nuclear spin. A uniform-in-space and constant-in-time magnetic field is used to probe the bound-electron g factor. The self-energy corrections to these effects are more difficult to evaluate than those to the Lamb shift. Here, we describe a numerical approach for both effects in the notoriously problematic regime of hydrogen-like bound systems with low nuclear charge numbers. The calculation is nonperturbative in the binding Coulomb field. Accurate numerical values for the remainder functions are provided for 2P states and for nS states with n=1,2,3., Comment: 17 pages, 6 tables