Electron affinity of Li7 calculated with the inclusion of nuclear motion and relativistic corrections

Abstract

Explicitly correlated Gaussian functions have been used to perform very accurate variational calculations for the ground states of (7)Li and (7)Li(-). The nuclear motion has been explicitly included in the calculations (i.e., they have been done without assuming the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) approximation). An approach based on the analytical energy gradient calculated with respect to the Gaussian exponential parameters was employed. This led to a noticeable improvement of the previously determined variational upper bound to the nonrelativistic energy of Li(-). The Li energy obtained in the calculations matches those of the most accurate results obtained with Hylleraas functions. The finite-mass (non-BO) wave functions were used to calculate the alpha(2) relativistic corrections (alpha=1c). With those corrections and the alpha(3) and alpha(4) corrections taken from Pachucki and Komasa [J. Chem. Phys. 125, 204304 (2006)], the electron affinity (EA) of (7)Li was determined. It agrees very well with the most recent experimental EA.