Twenty-parameter eigenfunctions and energy values of the 23 S States of He and He-like Ions

Twenty-parameter calculations of the energies and wave functions of the first excited states 2³ S of He, Li⁺, Be⁺⁺, B⁺⁺⁺, O⁶⁺, Ne⁸⁺, Mg¹⁰⁺, have been carried out using Hylleraas' method. The energy values have been corrected for mass polarization. The coefficients of the best wave functions are listed. Similar calculations for the 2³ S state of the H^? ion yield an energy value which cannot be distinguished from the energy of a free H atom. For He and Li⁺, in addition, forty-parameter calculations have been carried out. The results compare well with the recent calculations of Pekeris using a somewhat different method. Even after the inclusion of the relativistic correction, the theoretical energy values deviate slightly from the observed. The differences, ?0·10±0·05 cm^?1 for He and ?1·07±0·10 cm^?1 for Li⁺, represent observed values of the Lamb shifts in the 2³ S states. These values agree within their uncertainties with the values predicted from quantum electrodynamics.