Developments in atomic structure calculations

Abstract

The general availability of electronic computers has resulted in a variety of developments in calculations of the electronic structure of atoms. The starting point is generally the Hartree-Fock approximation, which inadequately accounts for the motion of the electrons. A treatment of electron correlation has been the aim of most of the recent work in this field, and the methods which have been proposed are reviewed. The accuracy to which energies (or at least energy differences) can be evaluated, and calculations of electron affinities and term ratios are considered. The evaluation of oscillator strengths (transition probabilities) and hyperfine structure are also covered. Available atomic structure programs based on the correlation methods are discussed.