The polarization energy of normal liquid³He

Abstract

We present new quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the ground-state energy of liquid 3He using backflow and 3-body wavefunctions and twist-averaged boundary conditions. We estimate the effects of the 3-body potential and compare to experimental measurements of the unpolarized equation of state and the magnetic susceptibility. There is still a large discrepancy with respect to the magnetic susceptibility, requiring either improved nodal surfaces or going beyond the fixed-node method. 1.