The Relative Alignment of Electron Momenta in Atoms and Molecules and the Effect of a Static Electric Field

Abstract

The relative momentum of electron pairs in atoms and small molecules is examined through calculation of the p · p probability distribution. The likelihood of aligned or antialigned momenta between paired electrons is determined from the calculated distributions. Coulomb correlation aligns the momenta of electron pairs, and the amount of alignment varies when considering momenta in specific directions in three-dimensional space. A static electric field is found to have competing effects on momentum alignment parallel and perpendicular to the electric field. However, the net effect of the electric field on alignment is significantly smaller than the effect of Coulomb correlation. Recent experimental advances suggest that such a correlation of electron momenta can now be measured directly using attosecond spectroscopic tools.

Measuring correlated electron motion in atoms with the momentum-balance density

“…Such studies have led to a better understanding of the relative motion of electrons due to radial and angular correlation in atoms, 4,37,38 the correlated motion of electrons during bond dissociation, 37 and their correlated motion in the presence of a static electric field. 41 However, for most intracules the spatial information (i.e. absolute loa) Corresponding author: j.hollett@uwinnipeg.ca cation of the electrons) is lost, which impedes the completion of a picture of relative electron motion in atoms and molecules.…”