Eur. Phys. J. H 39, 517–536 (2014)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjh/e2014-50027-1

Annotation of Hans Bethe’s paper, Zeitschrift für Physik 76, 293 (1932), “Braking Formula for Electrons of Relativistic Speed”

¹ Computational Physics Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
² ARC Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
³ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50311, USA

^a e-mail: cjf@lanl.gov
^b e-mail: c.bostock@curtin.edu.au
^c e-mail: klaus.bartschat@drake.edu

Received: 22 April 2014
Received in final form: 19 September 2014
Published online: 25 November 2014

Abstract

We present an annotation of Hans Bethe’s “Bremsformel für Elektronen relativistischer Geschwindigkeit” [Zeitschrift für Physik 76, 293 (1932)] (Braking Formula for Electrons of Relativistic Speed). The English translation of the paper appears as a companion to this annotation. We highlight the conceptual and historical aspects of the relevant quantum electrodynamics employed by Bethe, provide details in the derivation of several equations, and point out some typographical errors in the original manuscript.