Parameter-free Separable Lowest-order Non-relativistic Hamiltonian for Helium Atom

TL;DR

This paper introduces a parameter-free pseudopotential for the helium atom, derived from a symmetry-dependent partition of electron-electron interaction energy, improving the understanding of many-body electron correlation effects.

Contribution

It proposes a novel, parameter-free pseudopotential based on a symmetry-dependent partition fraction, simplifying the treatment of electron-electron interactions in helium.

Findings

Groundstate energy agrees with literature values

Excited state energies are reasonably accurate

Method offers a new approach to many-body correlation problems

Abstract

Electron-electron correlation forms the basis of difficulties encountered in many-body physics. Accurate treatment of the correlation problem is likely to unravel some nice physical properties of matter embedded in the correlation. In an effort to tackle the many-body problem, an empirically determined symmetry-dependent partition fraction for the electron-electron interaction energy between two interacting states of helium atom is suggested in this study. Using the partition fraction and the lowest-order approximation of the multipole series expansion of the electron-electron interaction, a simple parameter-free pseudopotential for a two-electron system is derived. The groundstate, singly and doubly excited state non-relativistic energies generated by the pseudopotential are in reasonable agreement with literature values.