Modeling Atomic Polarizability: From Charge Distortion to Non-Uniform Distributions

Abstract

In the classical model of atomic polarizability, atomic charges are displaced by an applied electric field, assuming the electron cloud remains spherically symmetric but with its center shifted from the nucleus, thereby inducing an electric dipole. In this work, we propose that the applied electric field distorts the initially spherical electron cloud into a spheroidal shape, with the nucleus positioned at one of its focal points. We assume that the electron cloud's charge density remains uniform and is not altered by the applied field. We derive a modified expression for the polarizability that accounts for the distortion factor, represented by the eccentricity of the spheroid, and analyze an additional model incorporating non-uniform charge distribution. Furthermore, we present an expression for polarizability that combines the effects of both distortion and non-uniform charge density. These models aim to refine the classical approximation and offer deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying atomic polarizability.