Many-orbital cluster expansion for the exchange-repulsion energy in the interaction of closed-shell systems

The energy of exchange repulsion between two closed-shell systems described by determinantal wave functions has been represented as a sum of contributions arising from the interaction of two, three and four orbitals at a time. These contributions have been calculated for the interaction of two neon atoms. It has been found that in the van der Waals minimum region the two-orbital components are of secondary importance and that about 90% of the total exchange energy originates from the three-orbital interactions ofL-shell electrons. The four-orbital as well as the double-exchange terms have been found negligible. The approximate algorithms for evaluation of the exchange repulsion energy have been tested and discussed.This work was partly supported by the Polish Academy of Sciences within the project MR-I.9.