Exchange polarization effects in the interaction of closed-shell systems

Explicit formulae for the calculation of the exchange polarization energy in the interaction of closed-shell atoms or molecules have been derived by assuming neglect of the electron correlation within the noninteracting systems. The dispersion part of the exchange polarization energy has been represented as a sum of contributions arising from the interaction of two, three or four orbitals at a time. Each of these contributions is given by an integral involving the orbitals engaged in the interaction and the pair functions describing the dispersion interaction between these orbitals. The numerical calculations for the interaction of two ground-state beryllium atoms show that the exchange dispersion energy is positive and quenches about 5 to 10 per cent of the dispersion term. This results in a decrease of the interaction energy, computed as a sum of the SCF and dispersion components, by 6 to 30 per cent for interatomic distances ranging from 10 to 7 bohrs.Simplified formulae for estimating the exchange dispersion energy in the interaction of larger systems are also proposed and their accuracy is discussed.