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A model potential previously developed for the ammonia molecule is treated in a single-center partial-wave approximation in analogy with a self-consistent field method developed by Moccia. The latter was used in a number of collision studies. The model potential is used to calculate dc Stark resonance parameters, i.e., resonance positions and shifts within a single-center partial wave expansion, using the exterior complex scaling method for the radial coordinate. Three molecular valence orbitals are investigated for fields along the three Cartesian coordinates, i.e., along the molecular axis and in two perpendicular directions. The work extends previous work on the planar-geometry water molecule for which non-monotonic shifts were observed. We find such non-monotonic shifts for fields along the molecular axis. For perpendicular fields we report the splitting of the 1e orbitals into a fast- and a slow-ionizing orbital.

We extend a previously developed model for the Stark resonances of the water molecule. The method employs a partial-wave expansion of the single-particle orbitals using spherical harmonics. To find the resonance positions and decay rates, we use the exterior complex scaling approach which involves the analytic continuation of the radial variable into the complex plane and yields a non-hermitian Hamiltonian matrix. The real part of the eigenvalues provides the resonance positions (and thus the Stark shifts), while the imaginary parts $-\Gamma/2$ are related to the decay rates $\Gamma$, i.e., the full-widths at half-maximum of the Breit-Wigner resonances. We focus on the three outermost (valence) orbitals, as they are dominating the ionization process. We find that for forces directed in the three Cartesian co-ordinates, the fastest ionizing orbital always displays a non-monotonic Stark shift. For the case of fields along the molecular axis we also compare results as a function of the number of spherical harmonics included ($\ell_{\max}=3,4$). We also compare our results to the total molecular Stark shifts for the Hartree-Fock and coupled cluster methods., Comment: Supplementary Materials may be found appended to the end of the paper in the same pdf

A partial-wave method is developed to deal with small molecules dominated by a central atom as an extension of earlier single-center methods. In particular, a model potential for the water molecule is expanded over a basis of spherical harmonics. A finite element method is employed to generate local polynomial functions in subintervals over a finite range for the radial variable. The angular parts of the system are represented by spherical harmonics. The problem of Stark resonances is treated with the exterior complex scaling method which incorporates a wavefunction discontinuity at the scaling radius. The resultant non-hermitian matrix eigenvalue problem yields resonance positions and widths (decay rates). We present these DC Stark shifts and exponential decay rates for the valence orbitals $1b_1$, $3a_1$, and the bonding orbital $1b_2$. Furthermore, comparison is made with total molecular decay rates and DC shifts obtained recently within the Hartree-Fock and coupled-cluster approaches., Comment: Density plots added, minor corrections made

We perform a short review of the history of quantum mechanics, with a focus on the historical problems with describing ionization theoretically in the context of quantum mechanics. The essentials of the theory of resonances are presented. The exterior complex scaling method for obtaining resonance parameters within the context of the Schrodinger equation is detailed. We explain how this is implemented for a numerical solution using a finite element method for the scaled variable. Results for the resonance parameters of a one-dimensional hydrogen model in an external direct current (DC) electric field are presented as proof of the independence of the theory from the scaling angle. We apply the theory to the real hydrogen atom in a DC field and present results which agree with literature values. The resonance parameters for singly ionized helium are also presented. Using a model potential energy for the water molecule, we solve for the energy eigenvalues. We then solve for the resonance parameters of the water molecule in a DC field and compare to literature results. Our widths for the valence orbital are shown to agree well with the so-called "coupled-cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples excitations" method.

We study the dramatic decrease in iron absorption strength in the iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar SDSS J084133.15+200525.8. We report on the continued weakening of absorption in the prototype of this class of variable broad absorption line quasar, FBQS J140806.2+305448. We also report a third example of this class, SDSS J123103.70+392903.6; unlike the other two examples, it has undergone an increase in observed continuum brightness (at 3000~\AA\ rest-frame) as well as a decrease in iron absorption strength. These changes could be caused by absorber transverse motion or by ionization variability. We note that the \mgii\ and UV \feii\ lines in several FeLoBAL quasars are blueshifted by thousands of \kms\ relative to the \Hb\ emission line peak. We suggest that such emission arises in the outflowing winds normally seen only in absorption., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 15 pages, 16 figures

The surface gravity on Mars is smaller than the surface gravity on Earth, resulting in longer falling times. This effect can be simulated on Earth by taking advantage of air resistance and buoyancy, which cause low density objects to fall slowly enough to approximate objects falling on the surface of Mars. We describe a computer simulation based on an experiment that approximates Martian gravity, and verify our numerical results by performing the experiment., Comment: 2015 Phys. Educ. 50 643

We present the discovery of the highest velocity CIV broad absorption line to date in the z=2.47 quasar SDSS J023011.28+005913.6, hereafter J0230. In comparing the public DR7 and DR9 spectra of J0230, we discovered an emerging broad absorption trough outflowing at ~60,000 km/s, which we refer to as trough A. In pursuing follow up observations of trough A, we discovered a second emergent CIV broad absorption trough outflowing at ~40,000 km/s, namely trough B. In total, we collected seven spectral epochs of J0230 that demonstrate emergent and rapidly (~10 days in the rest-frame) varying broad absorption. We investigate two possible scenarios that could cause these rapid changes: bulk motion and ionization variability. Given our multi-epoch data, we were able to rule out some simple models of bulk motion, but have proposed two more realistic models to explain the variability of both troughs. Trough A is likely an augmented `crossing disk' scenario with the absorber moving at 10,000 < v (km/s) < 18,000. Trough B can be explained by a flow-tube feature travelling across the emitting region at 8,000 < v (km/s) < 56,000. If ionization variability is the cause for the changes observed, trough A's absorber has n_e >= 724 cm^-3 and is at r_{equal} >=2.00 kpc, or is at r < 2.00 kpc with no constraint on the density; trough B's absorber either has n_e >= 1540 cm^-3 and is at r_{equal} >= 1.37 kpc, or is at r < 1.37 kpc with no constraint on the density., Comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables