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Traditional multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) and configuration interaction (CI) methods are based on a single orthonormal orbital basis (OB). For atoms with complicated shell structures, a large OB is needed to saturate all the electron correlation effects. The large OB leads to massive configuration state function (CSF) expansions that are difficult to handle. We show that it is possible to relax the orthonormality restriction on the OB and break down the originally large calculations to a set of smaller ones that can be run in parallel. Each calculation determines a partitioned correlation function (PCF) that accounts for a specific correlation effect. The PCFs are built on optimally localized orbital sets and are added to a zero-order multireference (MR) function to form a total wave function. The mixing coefficients of the PCFs are fixed from a small generalized eigenvalue problem. The required matrices are computed using a biorthonormal transformation technique. The new method, called partitioned correlation function interaction (PCFI), converges rapidly and gives total energies that are lower than the ordinary ones (MCHF and CI). Considering Li I, we show that by dedicating a PCF to the single excitations from the core highly improves the convergence patterns of the hyperfine parameters. Collecting the optimized PCFs to correct the MR function, the variational degrees of freedom in the relative mixing coefficients of the CSFs building the PCFs are inhibited. These constraints lead to small off-sets in computed properties other than total energy, with respect to the correct values. By (partially) deconstraining the mixing coefficients one converges to the correct limits and keeps the important advantage in the convergence rates. Reducing ultimately each PCF to a single CSF with its own OB leads to a non-orthogonal CI approach. Various perspectives of the new method are given., Comment: 35 pages, 6 tables and 10 figures

Multiconfiguration expansions frequently target valence correlation and correlation between valence electrons and the outermost core electrons. Correlation within the core is often neglected. A large orbital basis is needed to saturate both the valence and core-valence correlation effects. This in turn leads to huge numbers of configuration state functions (CSFs), many of which are unimportant. To avoid the problems inherent to the use of a single common orthonormal orbital basis for all correlation effects in the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) method, we propose to optimize independent MCHF pair-correlation functions (PCFs), bringing their own orthonormal one-electron basis. Each PCF is generated by allowing single- and double-excitations from a multireference (MR) function. This computational scheme has the advantage of using targeted and optimally localized orbital sets for each PCF. These pair-correlation functions are coupled together and with each component of the MR space through a low dimension generalized eigenvalue problem. Nonorthogonal orbital sets being involved, the interaction and overlap matrices are built using biorthonormal transformation of the coupled basis sets followed by a counter-transformation of the PCF expansions. Applied to the ground state of beryllium, the new method gives total energies that are lower than the ones from traditional complete active space (CAS)-MCHF calculations using large orbital active sets. It is fair to say that we now have the possibility to account for, in a balanced way, correlation deep down in the atomic core in variational calculations. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published