Plasma Confined Ground and Excited State Helium Atom: A Comparison Theorem Study Using Variational Monte Carlo and Lagrange Mesh Method

Abstract

The energy eigenvalues of the ground state helium atom and lowest two excited states corresponding to the configurations 1s2s embedded in the plasma environment using Hulthén, Debye–Hückel and exponential cosine screened Coulomb model potentials are investigated within the variational Monte Carlo method, starting with the ultracompact trial wave functions in the form of generalized Hylleraas–Kinoshita functions and Guevara–Harris–Turbiner functions. The Lagrange mesh method calculations of energy are reported for the He atom in the ground and excited 1S and 3S states, which are in excellent agreement with the variational Monte Carlo results. Interesting relative ordering of eigenvalues are reported corresponding to the different screened Coulomb potentials in the He ground and excited electronic states, which are rationalized in terms of the comparison theorem of quantum mechanics.

Keywords

• helium atom
• screened Coulomb potential
• variational Monte Carlo method
• Lagrange mesh method
• comparison theorem