Applicability of the Dirac-Fock method combined with Core Polarization in calculations of alkali atoms

In this work, we investigate the applicability of the core-polarization-corrected Dirac–Fock method, formulated within the framework of the local Dirac–Hartree–Fock (LDF) potential, for the accurate determination of static scalar and tensor electric dipole polarizabilities. This work presents theoretical values of blackbody-radiation-induced Stark shifts of atomic energy levels. The Dirac–Fock method augmented by core-polarization corrections is employed not only to evaluate these shifts but also to compute the Bethe logarithm for alkali-metal atoms. The results are critically compared with data available in the contemporary literature, and the strengths and limitations of the present approach are discussed.

💡 Research Summary

The authors present a systematic study of a semi‑empirical approach that combines a local Dirac‑Hartree‑Fock (LDF) potential with a core‑polarization (CP) correction, often referred to as the Dirac‑Fock plus Core Polarization (DFCP) or LDFCP method. The goal is to assess how well this relatively inexpensive framework can predict key atomic properties of alkali metals—specifically static scalar and tensor electric‑dipole polarizabilities, black‑body‑radiation (BBR) induced Stark shifts, and the Bethe logarithm, which enters the leading QED self‑energy correction.

Methodology
The valence electron is treated as moving in a self‑consistent field generated by a frozen core. The core‑valence interaction is modeled by a semi‑empirical CP potential
(V_{CP}(r) = -\frac{\alpha_c}{2 r^4}\bigl