Forces on nuclei in interacting molecules: New analytical results obtained with nonlocal polarizability densities

Abstract

When the charge overlap between interacting molecules or ions A and B is weak or negligible, the first-order interaction energy depends only upon the molecular positions, orientations, and the unperturbed charge distributions of the molecules. In contrast, the first-order force on a nucleus in molecule A as computed from the Hellmann–Feynman theorem depends not only on the unperturbed charge distribution of molecule B, but also on the electronic polarization induced in A by the field from B. At second order, the interaction energy depends on the first-order, linear response of each molecule to its neighbor, while the Hellmann–Feynman force on a nucleus in A depends on second-order and nonlinear responses to B. One purpose of this work is to unify the physical interpretations of interaction energies and Hellmann–Feynman forces at each order, using nonlocal polarizability densities and connections that we have recently established among permanent moments, linear response, and nonlinear response tensors. Our theory also yields new information on the origin of terms in the long-range forces on molecules, through second order in the interaction. One set of terms in the force on molecule A is produced by the field due to the unperturbed charge distribution of B and by the static reaction field from B, acting on the nuclear moments of A. This set originates in the direct interactions between the nuclei in A and the charge distribution of B. A second set of terms results from the permanent field and the reaction field of B acting on the permanent electronic moments of A. This set results from the attraction of nuclei in A to the electronic charge in A itself, polarized by linear response to B. Finally, there are terms in the force on A due to the perturbation of B by the static reaction field from A; these terms stem from the attraction of nuclei in A to the electronic charge in A, hyperpolarized by the field from B. For neutral, dipolar molecules A and B at long range, the forces on individual nuclei vary as R−3 in the intermolecular separation R; but when the forces are summed over all of the nuclei, the vector sum varies as R−4. This result, an analogous conversion at second order (from R−6 forces on individual nuclei to an R−7 force when summed over the nuclei), and the long-range limiting forces on ions are all derived from new sum rules obtained in this work.