a Department of Chemistry and Henry Eyring Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
b Centre d'Etudes de Limeil-Valenton, 94195 Villeneuve, St. Georges Cedex, France
Abstract:
The anisotropy of the atomic electronic density caused by strong magnetic fields is discussed here in the context of the statistical theory. In the framework of the current-density functional theory, a derivation is given of the gradient terms, necessary for anisotropy, based on the polarizability of free electrons in a magnetic field. Numerical results for the electronic density show a strong elongation of the electronic density along the field direction. In very high magnetic fields the electronic density is localized in thin columns along the field.