Extension of the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock program for continuum functions

The wave function of an outer electron coupled to a core, possibly with correlation included in the core, is similar to a multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) wavefunction, except that the radial function of the electron is a continuum function, and different numerical procedures are required for determining it. Only a single continuum function is allowed, and the orbitals defining the wave function of the core and bound channels are assumed to be fixed. The coefficients in the expansion of the wave function of the core are also fixed and are the result of a bound state calculation for the core. Under these assumptions, the equation for the radial wave function of the electron is solved iteratively. The asymptotic phase shift is evaluated. In order to test the accuracy of the procedure, calculations were performed for the scattering of electrons by neutral hydrogen. Some results of a photo-ionization calculation are compared, and for an electron transition in nitrogen