A spherical potential for hydrogen from solid state and scattering data

Calculations of the ground state energy and pressure of solid hydrogen, and of the total differential scattering cross section for D2+H2, are used to assess existing isotropic potentials for the hydrogen pair interaction. Although several of the models give consistent results in the region of the potential minimum, they differ significantly at short distances. A comparison with solid state and scattering data indicates that ab initio calculations are in error and that there is a lack of consistency between this data and second virial coefficient measurements. The results are used to recommend a potential surface that is consistent with the experimental data.