title: Modified coulomb law in a strongly magnetized vacuum.
abstract: We study the electric potential of a charge placed in a strong magnetic field B>>B(0) approximately 4.4x10(13) G, as modified by the vacuum polarization. In such a field the electron Larmour radius is much less than its Compton length. At the Larmour distances a scaling law occurs, with the potential determined by a magnetic-field-independent function. The scaling regime implies short-range interaction, expressed by the Yukawa law. The electromagnetic interaction regains its long-range character at distances larger than the Compton length, the potential decreasing across B faster than along. Correction to the nonrelativistic ground-state energy of a hydrogenlike atom is found. In the limit B = infinity, the modified potential becomes the Dirac delta function plus a regular background. With this potential the ground-state energy is finite--the best pronounced effect of the vacuum polarization.
authors.affiliation: P.N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Moscow 117924, Russia.
authors.forename: Anatoly E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Shabad
authors.forename: Vladimir V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Usov