On the Born-Oppenheimer expansion for polyatomic molecules (Q1189205)

The Schrödinger operator \(P(h)\) for a polyatomic molecule with Coulomb interactions is discussed in the limit where the mass ratio \(h^ 2\) of electronic to nuclear mass tends to zero. Asymptotic expansions of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of \(P(h)\) are obtained to all orders in \(h\). This justifies the Born-Oppenheimer expansion: \textit{M. Born} and \textit{R. Oppenheimer} [Annal. Phys. 84, 457 ff. (1927)] in the physically relevant case.