Atomic Radial Correlation Energy Density Components
Ibrahim E. Awad, Abd Al-Aziz A. Abu-Saleh, Gurleen Cheema, Joshua W. Hollett, Raymond A. Poirier
Published: 2025/9/16
Abstract
The components of the radial correlation energy density are calculated and analyzed for the atoms from He to Ar. The components include the nucleus-electron potential correlation energy density, the kinetic correlation energy density and the electron-electron potential correlation energy density. The necessary correlated one and two-electron density matrices are obtained from the Extrapolated-Full-Configuration-Interaction (exFCI) wave function where the reference wave function is restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) or restricted open-shell Hartree-Fock (ROHF) depending on whether the atom is closed or open-shell. The accuracy associated with integrating the HF and exFCI energy density components, and the correlation energy density components, is evaluated on the SG-1 and SG-2 atomic grids. The SG-1 grid provides atomic energies that are accurate to about 1 kJ mol$^{-1}$, with the exception of the kinetic energy. The SG-2 grid is required for the analysis of atomic kinetic energies and more subtle energetic effects. There is also a significant amount of integration error cancellation in the correlation energy densities. The radial correlation energy densities display notable shell structure, and there is a substantial difference between the $\alpha$ and $\beta$-electron correlation energy densities for the open-shell atoms.