6533b851fe1ef96bd12aa082

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Stability chart of small mixed4He−3Heclusters

Jesús NavarroR. Guardiola

subject

PhysicsMetastabilityPhysics::Atomic and Molecular ClustersDiffusion Monte CarloPhysics::Atomic PhysicsAtomic physicsAtomic and Molecular Physics and Optics

description

A stability chart of mixed ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ and ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ clusters has been obtained by means of the diffusion Monte Carlo method, using both the Aziz HFD-B and the Tang-Toennies-Yiu atom-atom interaction. The investigated clusters contain up to eight ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ atoms and up to 20 ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ atoms. One single ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ binds 20 ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ atoms, and two ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ bind 1, 2, 8, and more than 14 ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ atoms. All clusters with three or more ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ atoms are bound, although the combinations ${}^{4}{\mathrm{He}}_{3}^{3}{\mathrm{He}}_{9,10,11}$ and ${}^{4}{\mathrm{He}}_{4}^{3}{\mathrm{He}}_{9}$ are metastable. Clusters with 2, 8, and 20 ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ atoms are particularly stable and define magic ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ numbers.

https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.68.055201