Positron binding to atomic zinc

The fixed-core stochastic variational method has been used to predict the existence of a bound state with a binding energy of 0.001 425 Hartree and a annihilation rate of . The underlying validity of the model Hamiltonian was substantiated by predictions of the binding energies of Zn and . The convergence of the binding energy was very slow and further minimization of the energy was halted once a formal demonstration of binding had been achieved. The results of a single-positron model calculation of taken in conjunction with an examination of the convergence pattern suggest that the true binding energy of the underlying model Hamiltonian is 0.0005-0.0010 Hartree larger than the quoted value.