Computational Atomic Physics deals with computational methods for calculating electron (and positron) scattering from atoms and ions, including elastic scattering, excitation, and ionization processes. Each chapter is divided into abstract, theory, computer program with sample input and output, summary, suggested problems, and references. An MS-DOS diskette is included, which holds 11 programs covering the features of each chapter and therefore contributing to a deeper understanding of the field. Thus the book provides a unique practical application of advanced quantum mechanics.

Computational Atomic Structure: An MCHF Approach deals with the field of computational atomic structure, specifically with the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) approach and the manner in which this approach is used in modern physics. Beginning with an introduction to computational algorithms and procedures for atomic physics, the book describes the theory underlying nonrelativistic atomic structure calculations (making use of Brett-Pauli corrections for relativistic effects) and details how the MCHF atomic structure software package can be used to this end. The book concludes with a treatment of atomic properties, such as energy levels, electron affinities, transition probabilities, specific mass shift, fine structure, hyperfine-structure, and autoionization. This modern, reliable exposition of atomic structure theory proves invaluable to anyone looking to make use of the authors' MCHF atomic structure software package, which is available publicly via the Internet.

This graduate-level text collects and synthesizes a series of ten lectures on the nuclear quantum many-body problem. Starting from our current understanding of the underlying forces, it presents recent advances within the field of lattice quantum chromodynamics before going on to discuss effective field theories, central many-body methods like Monte Carlo methods, coupled cluster theories, the similarity renormalization group approach, Green’s function methods and large-scale diagonalization approaches. Algorithmic and computational advances show particular promise for breakthroughs in predictive power, including proper error estimates, a better understanding of the underlying effective degrees of freedom and of the respective forces at play. Enabled by recent improvements in theoretical, experimental and numerical techniques, the state-of-the art applications considered in this volume span the entire range, from our smallest components – quarks and gluons as the mediators of the strong force – to the computation of the equation of state for neutron star matter. The lectures presented provide an in-depth exposition of the underlying theoretical and algorithmic approaches as well details of the numerical implementation of the methods discussed. Several also include links to numerical software and benchmark calculations, which readers can use to develop their own programs for tackling challenging nuclear many-body problems.

A variety of standard problems in theoretical nuclear-structure physics is addressed by the well-documented computer codes presented in this book. Most of these codes were available up to now only through personal contact. The subject matter ranges from microscopic models (the shell, Skyrme-Hartree-Fock, and cranked Nilsson models) through collective excitations (RPA, IBA, and geometric model) to the relativistic impulse approximation, three-body calculations, variational Monte Carlo methods, and electron scattering. The 5 1/4'' high-density floppy disk that comes with the book contains the FORTRAN codes of the problems that are tackled in each of the ten chapters. In the text, the precise theoretical foundations and motivations of each model or method are discussed together with the numerical methods employed. Instructions for the use of each code, and how to adapt them to local compilers and/or operating systems if necessary, are included.

Computation is essential to our modern understanding of nuclear systems. Although simple analytical models might guide our intuition, the complex ity of the nuclear many-body problem and the ever-increasing precision of experimental results require large-scale numerical studies for a quantitative understanding. Despite their importance, many nuclear physics computations remain something of a black art. A practicing nuclear physicist might be familiar with one or another type of computation, but there is no way to systemati cally acquire broad experience. Although computational methods and results are often presented in the literature, it is often difficult to obtain the working codes. More often than not, particular numerical expertise resides in one or a few individuals, who must be contacted informally to generate results; this option becomes unavailable when these individuals leave the field. And while the teaching of modern nuclear physics can benefit enormously from realistic computer simulations, there has been no source for much of the important material. The present volume, the second of two, is an experiment aimed at address ing some of these problems. We have asked recognized experts in various aspects of computational nuclear physics to codify their expertise in indi vidual chapters. Each chapter takes the form of a brief description of the relevant physics (with appropriate references to the literature), followed by a discussion of the numerical methods used and their embodiment in a FOR TRAN code. The chapters also contain sample input and test runs, as well as suggestions for further exploration.

This book contains the transcripts of the lectures presented at the NATO Advanced study Institute on "Computational Techniques in Quantum Chemistry and Molecular Physics", held at Ramsau, Germany, 4th - 21st Sept. 1974. Quantum theory was developed in the early decades of this century and was first applied to problems in chemistry and molecular physics as early as 1927. It soon emerged however, that it was impossible to con sider any but the simplest systems in any quantita tive detail because of the complexity of Schrodinger's equation which is the basic equation for chemical and molecular physics applications. This remained the si tuation until the development, after 1950, of elec tronic digital computers. It then became possible to attempt approximate solutions of Schrodinger's equa tion for fairly complicated systems, to yield results which were sufficiently accurate to make comparison with experiment meaningful. Starting in the early nineteen sixties in the United States at a few centres with access to good computers an enormous amount of work went into the development and implementation of schemes for approximate solu tions of Schrodinger's equation, particularly the de velopment of the Hartree-Fock self-consistent-field scheme. But it was soon found that the integrals needed for application of the methods to molecular problems are far from trivial to evaluate and cannot be easily approximated.

This advanced textbook provides an introduction to the basic methods of computational physics.