Abstract
By use of the variational method as previously applied to the mathematically similar problem of the negative atomic hydrogen ion, the energy of a compound of two electrons and one positron has been calculated. The resulting (third approximation) value of roughly 0.19 ev binding energy of this system with respect to dissociation into a free electron and a system of one electron and one positron corresponds to the value already found by J. A. Wheeler. On the basis of higher approximations obtained for the exact binding energy of the tri-electron has been estimated to be 0.203 ev.
- Received 9 November 1946
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.71.491
©1947 American Physical Society