ISSN:
0020-7608
Keywords:
Computational Chemistry and Molecular Modeling
;
Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Most of the existing calculations of relativistic effects in many-electron atoms or molecules are based on the Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian HDC. However, because the electron-electron interaction mixes positive- and negative-energy states, the operator HDC has no normalizable eigenfunctions. This fact undermines the quantum-theoretic rationale for the Dirac-Hartree-Fock (DHF) equations and therefore that of the relativistic configuration-interaction (RCI) and multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock (MCDF) methods. An approach to this problem based on quantum electrodynamics is reviewed. It leads to a configuration-space Hamilton H+U which involves positive-energy projection operators dependent on an external potential U; identification of U with the nuclear potential Vext corresponds to use of the Furry bound-state interaction picture. It is shown that the RCI method can be reinterpreted as an approximation scheme for finding eigenvalues of a Hamiltonian H+U, with U identified as the DHF potential; the theoretical interpretation of the MCDF method needs further clarification. It is emphasized that if U differs from Vext one must consider the effects of virtual-pair creation by the difference potential δU = Vext - U; an approximate formula for the level-shift arising from δU is derived. Some ideas for dealing with the technical problems introduced by the projection operators are discussed and relativistic virial theorems are given. Finally, a possible scheme for adapting current MCDF methods to Hamiltonians involving projection operators is described.
Additional Material:
3 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qua.560250103
