Long-range interactions of ions with atoms having partially filled p subshells

Abstract

We derive analytic Born–Oppenheimer potential energy functions, including the charge–quadrupole and charge–induced dipole contributions, for the long-range interaction of a positive or negative ion with an atom having a partially filled p subshell. The charge–quadrupole term vanishes at large separations for the 2P1/2 states of p1 and p5, the 3P0 state of p2 and p4, and all states of p3. For 2P and 3P states the potentials at very large separations are characterized by MJ and at smaller separations by ML. The switchover is controlled by the ratio of the spin–orbit energy to the total anisotropy of the interaction potential. Plots of the positive and negative ion interactions with C(3P), O(3P), and F(2P) are presented as illustrations.