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Zygelman, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Zygelman, B..

Charge Transfer Calculations and Database for Astrophysics

A variety of theoretical approaches, having different but overlapping energy ranges of applicability, are applied to investigate charge transfer processes for collisions of atomic ions with atoms and molecules. The methods include quantal molecular-orbital close-coupling, classical trajectory Monte Carlo, and continuum distorted wave methods. Recent collision systems studied include S(+4) + H, S(+4) + He, N(+7) + He, H2O, CO, and CO2, O(+q)(q = 1 - 8) + H, H2, and S(+q)(q = 1 - 16) + H2. The database effort is concentrating on astrophysically important reactions of atomic ions X(+q)(X=H-Zn, q=1-4, and selected higher charges) with H, He, various metal atoms, H2, and other selected molecular targets. Existing data, much of it produced by us, has been compiled and critically evaluated. Data for many reactions missing in the literature are estimated using the multichannel Landau-Zener approximation. Fits to cross sections and rate coefficients using standard functions are provided as well as tabulations of the raw data. The database is available on the World Wide Web at cfadc.phy.ornl.gov/astro/ps/data.

Wang, J. G.↗

Non-Abelian geometric phase and long-range atomic forces

It is shown how gauge fields, or geometric phases, manifest as observable effects in both bound and free diatom systems. It is shown that, in addition to altering energy splittings in bound systems, geometric phases induce transitions in levels separated by a finite-energy gap. An example is given where the non-Abelian gauge field couples nondegenerate electronic levels in a diatom. This gauge-field coupling gives rise to an observable effect. It is shown that when the diatom is 'pulled apart', the non-Abelian geometric phase manifests as a long-range atomic force.

Zygelman, B.↗

Contribution of three-body potentials to the binding energy of heavy atoms

The conversion of quantum electrodynamics to a configuration-space Hamiltonian formalism introduces three-electron potentials of relativistic origin. For heavy atoms, it is found that the contribution of these potentials to the inner-shell binding energy is no more than 0.21 eV. This is too small to explain the discrepancy between current theory and experiment. The uniqueness of the potentials obtained in the configuration-space Hamiltonian is also discussed.

Zygelman, B.↗