The application of quantum electrodynamics to multiple processes

Abstract

The higher approximation terms of the interaction of an electron and a radiation field, which were obtained by the author in the previous paper, are applied here to investigate the probability of multiple scattering processes. It is shown that the probability of certain of these processes could be large. In particular it is shown that the probability of a photon dividing into a number of photons in the presence of an electron is appreciable under certain circumstances. This result shows that quantum electrodynamics does not disallow, as was believed earlier, the existence of photon showers in which the quanta are emitted simultaneously.