An accurate calculation of the polarizability of the hydrogen molecule and its dependence on rotation, vibration and isotopic substitution

A variation-perturbation method has been used to calculate the static dipole polarizabilities α (parallel to) and α (perpendicular to) of the hydrogen molecule over the bond length range 0.6a0<=R<=10.0 a0. The unperturbed wavefunction consisted of an expansion of 80 terms and the first order perturbed wavefunction consisted of an expansion of 65 terms These wavefunctions take explicit account of electron correlation. The results were averaged over the nuclear motion to give the polarizability and its anisotropy in a number of vibration-rotation states for the H2, HD and D2 molecules. The work is a refinement of a well known calculation by Kolos and Wolniewicz. Non-adiabatic contributions to the results are estimated. (author)