Abstract
A variational calculation for the groundstate of the lithium atom is carried out with an anti-symmetrical wave function built up out of the core function exp[−K/2(r1+r 2] (1+br 12) and the valence electron function\(\exp \left[ { - \frac{K}{2}\left( {r_1 + r_2 } \right)} \right]\left( {1 + br_{12} } \right)\) and the valence electron function\(r_3 e^{ - \frac{a}{2}r_3 } \). The resulting improvement in the total energy of the atom is considerable. But contrary to expectation the calculated value of the ionisation potential is much inferior to those previously obtained with simple hydrogen-like core functions. The numerous integrals occurring in the problem are discussed from a uniform viewpoint. A few simple integrals involving either one or two of the inter-electronic distances are first evaluated with the help of two general formulas (D) and (E) of Section 4, and from them the remaining ones are obtained by repeated differentiation with respect to parameters occurring in the exponential part of the integrand. Considerable simplification is achieved thereby and possibilities of errors are also largely eliminated.
Incidentally, a new method of successive approximations has been developed for minimising the energy expression.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Wilson, E. B.: J. chem. Physics1, 210 (1933).
Hylleraas, E. A.: Z. Physik54, 347 (1929).
Kun Huang: Phys. Rev.70, 197 (1946).
Guillemin, V., andC. Zener: Z. Physik61, 199 (1930).
Slater, J. C.: Phys. Rev.36, 57 (1930).
Fock, V., andMary J. Petrashen: Phys. Z. Sowjet.8, 547 (1935).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
One of the authors (Majumdar) expresses his thanks to Professor M. N.Saha F. R. S. for his interest during the progress of the work and for his valuable comments on the manuscript, and to the National Institute of Sciences of India for a Fellowship. The other (Chowdhury) wishes to thank Professor S. K.Mitra under whom he is working for permission to do this work, and the C. S. I. R. for a scholarship.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Datta Majumdar, S., Chowdhury, D.C. Wave function for the groundstate of lithium. Z. Physik 128, 455–464 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01330028
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01330028