Classical limit states of the helium atom

Abstract

The techniques of Rydberg electronic wave packets are used to explore the classical limit states of helium. A class of shape-preserving orbits is studied under the classical adiabatic approximation that separates the dynamics of the two electrons. These states form the classical basis for two-electron wave packet states whose hydrogenic counterparts are shown to be elliptic states in the presence of a rotating electric field.