Evaluation of the Gaunt Coefficients by Using Recurrence Relations for Spherical Harmonics

Abstract

The Gaunt coefficient is one of the important coefficients to be known for calculating molecular integrals in quantum theory of coupling of three angular momenta. Generally, these coefficients are calculated analytically by using the properties of the associated Legendre polynomials. In this study, Gaunt coefficients were calculated algebraically by using the recurrence relations and orthogonality conditions of spherical harmonics and different mathematical expressions were obtained from known analytical expressions for Gaunt coefficients in terms of factorial functions or binomial coefficients. By using the program written in the Mathematica programming language, both the analytical expressions and the algebraic expressions were calculated, and the numerical results obtained were compared. Numerical results are in quite agreement with the literature and each other.

Keywords

• clebsch – gordan coefficients
• vector coupling constant
• gaunt coefficients