Electron momentum density distribution in homonuclear diatomic molecules

Individual orbital contributions to the electron momentum densities of first-row homonuclear diatomic molecules are discussed. It is shown that the nodal surfaces in the orbital EMDs arise from a diffraction factor with both geometric and electronic components. The positions of the nodal surfaces convey information on the electronic structure. The results are illustrated with a Hartree-Fock-Slater calculation of the F₂(X¹Σ_g⁺) molecule.