Finite Element Quantum Mechanics 6: Basic Analysis vs Observation

Let us now inspect the basics of the atomic model considered in this sequence of posts.

Consider then a neutral atom of kernel charge $Z$ with $N=Z$ electrons occupying non-overlapping domains in space. Assume that the electrons are partitioned into a sequence of shells $S_m$ of increasing radius $r_m$ with corresponding widths $d_m$ each shell being filled by $2m^2$ electrons, for $m=1,...,M,$ with $M$ the number of shells. We consider a hypothetic atom with all shells fully filled with $2, 8, 18, 32, 50,...,$ electrons in successive shells displaying a basic aspect of the periodicity of the periodic table of elements.

Consider now the case $d_m\sim m$ with $r_m\sim m^2$, and assume $r_1=d_1\sim\frac{1}{Z}$. The electron density $\rho_m$ in $S_m$, assumed to be spherically symmetric,  then satisfies

• $\rho_mr_m^2d_m\sim m^2$

from which follows that 

• $\rho_m\sim \frac{m^3}{r_m^3}$.                            (1)

We now compute the following characteristics of this model:

1. $M^3\sim Z$, that is $M\sim Z^{\frac{1}{3}}$
2. potential energy in $S_1\sim Z^2$
3. potential energy in $S_m\sim m^2Z/r_m\sim Z/d_1\sim Z^2$
4. total potential energy and thus total energy $\sim Z^{\frac{7}{3}}$.                             (2)

We check that indeed there is room for $m^2$ electrons in shell $S_m$, because the volume of $S_m$ is $r_m^2d_m\sim m^5$, while the volume of an electron $\sim d_m^3\sim m^3$.

We observe that (2) fits with observations. We understand that the electronic density is distributed so that the potential energy and thus total energy in each full shell is basically the same, which may be viewed to be a heavenly socialistic organization of the shell structure of an atom.

Numerical computation seeking the ground state energy by relaxation in the Schrödinger model of post 5 starting from an initial density distribution according to (1), shows good correspondence with observation, supporting the basic analysis of this post. Numbers will be presented in an upcoming post.

The basic aspect of this model as a form of electron density model, is that electrons (or shells in the present spherically symmetric case) keep individuality by occupying different domains of space, which makes it possible to accurately represent electron-electron repulsion.

This feature is not present in standard density models such as Thomas-Fermi and Density Functional Theory. In these models electrons lack individuality as parts of electron clouds, which makes it difficult to represent electron-electron repulsion ab ibnitio.

Recall also that in the standard Schrödinger equations wave functions appear as multi-dimensional linear combinations of products of one-electron wave functions defined in all of space by separate spatial variables, thus with each electron "both nowhere and everywhere" without individuality, which requires a statistical interpretation of the wave function as a multi-dimensional uncomputable monster.

Another basic aspect of the presented model is continuity of electron density across inter-electron or inter-shell boundaries for the electron configuration of ground states. This allows atoms to have stable ground states as non-dissipative periodic states of minimal energy.

Notice further that the size of the atom as $r_M\sim Z^{-\frac{1}{3}}$ with decreasing size as $Z$ increases, corresponds to the observed decrease of size moving to the right in each row of the periodic table: