OPTIMUM JASTROW FUNCTION FOR FEW-ELECTRON GROUND-STATES IN A QUANTUM-DOT - REDUCTION TO A 3-PARTICLE PROBLEM

A new approach to calculating the optimum Jastrow wave function is pre sented for a system of N electrons in a two-dimensional quantum dot. B y introducing special derivative operators which act on differences of electron coordinates r(ij) = r(i) - r(j) as if they were independent coordinates {r(ij)}i < j, it is shown that the problem of finding the optimum N-particle Jastrow function reduces to a three-particle proble m (for N greater-than-or-equal-to 3). This three-particle problem is t hen solved using a variational method to find the optimum pair functio n phi(r(ij)). A perpendicular magnetic field may also be included in t he problem.