Photodetachment of Rb^-, Cs^-, and Fr^- within a new boundary-corrected Pauli equation approach

C. Bahrim
(Dept. of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, and Chemistry and Physics Dept., Lamar University, Beaumont, TX),

I. I. Fabrikant
(Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln),

U. Thumm
(Dept. of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan)

The Pauli equation (PE) is a weak relativistic limit of the exact Dirac equation which includes the spin-dependent potential V_LS added to the non-relativistic, spin-independent Coulomb potential V. For a Coulomb potential, V_LS includes a non-physical singularity 1/r³ at r=0, and the PE-approach breaks down. Various regularization functions have been suggested to remove this singularity [1]. Based on the exact analytic solution of the Dirac equation near the nucleus, we formulated boundary conditions for solving the PE for an electron interacting with an atom [1]. By integrating the PE using an effective potential V_eff that is adjusted to reproduce scattering phase shifts provided by exact Dirac R-matrix calculations, we calculated angle-differential and total photodetachment (PD) cross sections. Our ³P^o₁ resonance contribution to the PD cross section of Cs^- agrees (in position and width) with recent experiments [2], after fine-tuning V_eff.

References:

[1] C. Bahrim, I.I. Fabrikant, and U. Thumm, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 123003 (2001), and refs. therein.
[2] M. Scheer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 684 (1998).

This work was supported by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences Division,
Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy.

Submitted to DAMOP 2002, May 2002 in Williamsburg, VA.

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