Relativistic virial relations for both homogeneous and spatially varying electron liquids

Authors: F.E. Leys; N.H. March; D. Lamoen

Source: Physics and Chemistry of Liquids, Volume 42, Number 4, August 2004 , pp. 423-431(9)

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Abstract:

Relativistic virial relations are first discussed for a homogeneous electron liquid. The chemical potential is involved in such virial relations, and the approximate effects of electron correlation are studied, using the Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) data of Kenny et al. (S.D. Kenny, G. Rajagopal, R.J. Needs, W.-K. Leung, M.J. Godfrey, A.J. Williamson and W.M.C. Foulkes (1996). Phys. Rev. Lett., 77, 1099).

Attention is then shifted to inhomogeneous electron liquids. Based on Dirac's relativistic wave equation, an approximate propagator solution using a WKB-like treatment of this equation by Linderberg for central fields is a focal point. This approach, it is demonstrated here, leads back to the exact single-particle kinetic energy of the uniform electron gas and hence to the virial relations referred to above when the central field is switched off. Virial relations are then referred to for the finite central field case. Finally, a local density approximation applied to heavy atoms in intense magnetic fields is briefly treated, and another approximate virial relation is exhibited.

Keywords: Relativistic virial theorem; Electron liquid; Magnetic field

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00319100410001697873

Affiliations: 1: Physics Department University of Antwerp Groenenborgerlaan 171 B-2020 Antwerpen Belgium

Publication date: 2004-08-01