One-electron atomic-molecular ions containing Lithium in a strong magnetic field

TL;DR

This study investigates one-electron lithium-containing Coulomb systems in extremely strong magnetic fields, revealing their potential stability and existence under conditions relevant to astrophysical objects like magnetars.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of Li-based one-electron ions in strong magnetic fields using variational and Lagrange-mesh methods, identifying conditions for their stability.

Findings

LiH^{3+}, LiHe^{4+}, and Li_{2}^{5+} can exist at high magnetic fields.

Li_{2}^{5+} may be stable at magnetar-level magnetic fields.

Molecular systems are stable for B ≥ 10^4 a.u.

Abstract

The one-electron Li-containing Coulomb systems of atomic type $(li, e)$ and molecular type $(li, li, e)$, $(li, \alpha, e)$ and $(li, p, e)$ are studied in the presence of a strong magnetic field $B \leq 10^{7}$ a.u. in the non-relativistic framework. They are considered at the Born-Oppenheimer approximation of zero order (infinitely massive centers) within the parallel configuration (molecular axis parallel to the magnetic field). The variational and Lagrange-mesh methods are employed in complement to each other. It is demonstrated that the molecular systems ${\rm LiH}^{3+}$, ${\rm LiHe}^{4+}$ and ${\rm Li}_{2}^{5+}$ can exist for sufficiently strong magnetic fields $B \gtrsim 10^{4}$ a.u. and that ${\rm Li}_{2}^{5+}$ can even be stable at magnetic fields typical of magnetars.