Configuration interaction calculations of positron binding to molecular oxides and hydrides and its effect on spectroscopic constants

Ab initio multireference single- and double-excitation configuration interaction (MRD-CI) calculations have been carried out for magnesium oxide (MgO) and lithium oxide (LiO) and their positronic complexes. These results are compared with previous theoretical data obtained earlier for beryllium oxide (BeO) and the series of alkali hydrides with and without an additional positron. Potential curves have been constructed for each of the systems, MgO, e⁺MgO, LiO and e⁺LiO. Positron affinities (PAs) of 0.472 eV and 0.304 eV, respectively, have been computed for the ground states of MgO and LiO. Because of the relatively low ionization potential of the Li atom, it is found that the dissociation limit in the latter case is Li⁺ + PsO (Oe⁺e⁻), whereas it is Mg + e⁺O in the former case, in close analogy to what has been found for e⁺BeO. Significant changes in bond lengths, vibrational frequencies and dissociation energies are indicated as a result of binding a positron to each of these oxides as well as to the alkali hydrides studied earlier. The general trend observed is toward increased bond length and decreased frequency as a result of attaching a positron to these systems in their various low-lying electronic states.