Many-body forces and electron correlation in small metal clusters

The many-body decomposition of the interaction energy for BeN and LiN (N=2 to 4) clusters is calculated in two approximations: the self-consistent-field method and the Mo/ller-Plesset perturbation theory up to the fourth order. This allows us to estimate the electron-correlation contributions to the many-body forces. The explicit expressions for these contributions in the perturbation theory formalism are obtained. We present a comparative analysis of the role of electron correlations in the BeN and LiN cluster formations and in the many-body interactions in these clusters. As follows from our results, the contribution of electron correlation to many-body interactions is essential for both the BeN and LiN clusters, especially for the latter ones, where nonadditivities are surprisingly large. {} 1996 The American Physical Society.