Channel-coupling theory of molecular structure. Global basis-set expansions for H2+, H2, and HeH+

Earlier work applying equations of the channel-coupling array theory of many-body scattering to H2+ and H2 has been extended. Primary consideration has been given to the use of the Galerkin-Petrov method, by which the non-Hermitian matrix equations of the theory have been solved approximately with the use of globally defined bases as expansion sets. For H2+, both hydrogenic and Hylleraas-Shull-Loewdin functions were used, but neither set led to minima in the ground-state (gerade) potential-energy curves which lie higher than the exact value nor indicated a convergence to the correct minimum value. Only hydrogenic functions were used for H2 in a two-channel truncation approximation. Slow convergence (from above) to the exact minimum in the singlet ground-state potential-energy curve was indicated. The inner minimum in the H2 E 1Σ/sub g/+ curve originally calculated by Davidson was reproduced to within 0.002 a.u. by an extremely simple covalent approximate calculation; there was no indication of Davidson's outer, ionic minimum, but this is not surprising since an ionic component was not built into our approximation. The HeH+ ground state was also determined. The equilibrium separation and energy minimum for the ground state was relatively accurate given the simple (Eckart) wave function used to approximate the He ground state. In addition to these results, the nonphysical H2+ ungerade and H2 triplet potential-energy curves found in the earlier one-state approximate calculations also occurred in the present computations