Effective Masses of Quasifree Electrons in Inert Gas Solids

Abstract

The Wigner–Seitz model for a core–core cutoff pseudopotential introduced by Springett et al. is used to predict effective masses of quasifree electrons in inert gas solids. The model has been useful in predicting or correlating ground state energies of electrons in liquid (Springett et al., Raz and Jortner, and Miyakawa and Dexter) and solid (Raz and Jortner) inert gases. The theoretical effective masses reported herein are at least a factor of two too high, even for Ne for which the model gives a good a priori prediction for the ground state quasifree electronic energy. The failure of the model in predicting excited state properties (namely, the effective masses) brings into question Miyakawa and Dexter's use of the potential barrier (Springett el al.) predicted by the same model in treating photoexcitation of electronic bubbles in liquid helium.