One-electron molecular systems in a strong magnetic field

This review paper is inspired by a recent discovery by Chandra   X-ray observatory of two absorption features in the spectra of radiation of the isolated neutron star 1E1207.4-52094-5209, which can be attributed to atomic–molecular content of the atmosphere. It can be easily anticipated that after the above-mentioned discovery other neutron stars characterized by enormous magnetic fields will also become the objects for astronomical observations and studies.In the review a detailed qualitative and quantitative consideration of the one-electron molecular systems H2+(ppe),H3++(pppe),H43+(ppppe) and (HeH)++(αpe),He23+(ααe) in a magnetic field ranging from 109109 to 4.414×1013G (the Schwinger limit) is presented. The main emphasis is made on the question of the existence of the corresponding molecular ions in a magnetic field. The Born–Oppenheimer approximation of zero order (infinitely heavy protons and/or αα-particles) is used throughout.It is shown that for a magnetic field B≲1011G the H2+-ion always exists for any inclination of the molecular axis with respect to the magnetic line. For B≳1011G and large inclinations the minimum in the total energy curve disappears and the molecular ion H2+ ceases to exist. The domain of inclinations where the H2+-ion exists, reduces as the magnetic field increases and finally becomes 0–25∘25∘ at B=4.414×1013G. The optimal configuration of H2+ always corresponds to protons situated along the magnetic line (the parallel configuration). With magnetic field growth the ion H2+ becomes more and more tightly bound and compact, and the electronic distribution evolves from a two-peak to a one-peak pattern. It is always stable. Several low-lying excited states are studied.The fact that the system (pppe)(pppe) can be bound in a strong magnetic field to form the H3++-ion was mentioned for the first time at 1999. In the range of magnetic fields 108