Three-body dispersion coefficients for alkali-metal atoms

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · Physical Review A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.55.2067· OSTI ID:467356

Marinescu, M; Starace, A F ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Nebraska, 116 Brace Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0111 (United States)

We study the nonadditive part of the long-range interaction among three alkali-metal atoms in their ground states. Using nondegenerate perturbation theory, up to the third order, we have computed the dispersion coefficients C for three alkali-metal atoms interacting via their electric dipole moments. Both heteronuclear and homonuclear cases are considered. The numerical values for the C coefficients suggest that such three-body dipole interaction effects may not be neglected in the description of the long-range surface potential interaction for alkali-metal atoms. Furthermore, we show that approximate formulas for C of Midzuno and Kihara [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. {bold 11}, 1045 (1956)] give results in excellent agreement with results of our calculations. Comparisons are given of our results with results of others and with results of other approximate formulas. The effect on our results for the C coefficient of uncertainties in the experimental values of the static dipole polarizabilities, on which our results depend, is also analyzed. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-88ER13955
• OSTI ID: 467356
• Journal Information: Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 55; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
GROUND STATES
PERTURBATION THEORY
POLARIZABILITY
POTENTIAL ENERGY
THREE-BODY PROBLEM