# How do I calculate the electron density of a gold atom?

I have to calculate the electron density of a gold atom. As far as I know, it is given by $$\rho=e|\psi|^2$$ if $$\psi$$ is the wave function of the electrons. The only way I know for calculate the wave function $$\psi$$ is the Hartree-Fock method, but with gold I would have 79 kinetic terms and $$\dfrac{79*(79-1)}{2}=3081$$ exchange terms. I am sure someone came up a more clever idea.

Can anyone point out a way to solve this problem?

It looks like some more details are needed. My goal is to calculate the scattering amplitude of electrons impinging on a test mass of gold. In order to do this, I have to solve the differential equation:

$$-\dfrac{\hbar}{2m} \dfrac{1}{r^2} \dfrac{d}{dr} \left( r^2\dfrac{d}{dr}R_l(r) \right) + \dfrac{\hbar}{2m} \dfrac{l(l+1)}{r^2} R_l(r) - \left( -\dfrac{Ze^2}{r} + V_{ext}(r) \right)R_l(r)=E \,R_l(r)$$

where the potential $$V_{ex}(r)\propto \rho(r)$$ where $$\rho(r)$$ is the electron density of the gold atom.

• Without more information about why/to what level of precision you need to calculate this (is it homework?), it is difficult to be sure, but it sounds like you could benefit by reading up about Density Functional Theory. There are existing libraries that you could use to do this (rolling your own is likely to be non-trivial). Typically you'd setup some sort of a variational problem, where you need to find a density matrix for the system (in this case, a gold atom's) that minimises its energy. Apr 15 '20 at 9:15
• @MartinC. It is not homework it is work. Thanks for the comment. Apr 15 '20 at 9:17
• @MartinC. see my edit I added some details of my final goal. Apr 15 '20 at 9:35
• I see. In that case I am not sure that DFT is the appropriate tool... Apr 15 '20 at 9:57