CALCULATION OF TRANSITION-PROBABILITIES USING THE MULTICONFIGURATION DIRAC-FOCK METHOD

The performance of the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock (MCDF) method in calculating transition probabilities of atoms is reviewed. In general, the MCDF wave functions will lead to transition probabilities accurat e to similar to 10 % or better for strong, electric-dipole allowed tra nsitions for small atoms. However, it is more difficult to get reliabl e transition probabilities for weak transitions. Also, some MCDF wave functions for a specific J quantum number may not reduce to the approp riate L and S quantum numbers in the nonrelativistic limit. Transition probabilities calculated from such MCDF wave functions for nonrelativ istically forbidden transitions are unreliable. Remedies for such case s are discussed.