Binding energies of alkali-metal negative ions

Abstract EN

A new theoretical approach is applied to calculate the binding energies of alkali-metal negative ions in the gas phase, where an improved version of quantum-defect theory is employed to construct exact analytical hydrogen-like wave functions with two independent parameters.

The parameters, n and Z, for each anion and its parent neutral atom, are calculated using the latest available experimental values of their binding energies.

The results show straight-line relationship between the effective nuclear charge of each anion and its parent neutral atom.

The connection between the calculated ionic radial expectation value, , and its counterpart for the neutral atom, , is determined using other theoretical models and employed to deduce the core radius of anions.