The electron density in intermediate scales (Q1357457)

The density of the ground state of large neutral atoms described by Hamiltonians with Coulomb potentials between the electrons and the static nucleus of charge \(Z\) at the origin is investigated. It is shown that the density behaves on a scale \(Z^{-\gamma}\), where \(1/3<\gamma<1\), as \(\text{ const}(Z/r)^{-3/2}\) which is the short distance asymptotics of the atomic Thomas-Fermi density (shown to be asymptotically correct on the scale \(Z^{-1/3}\) by Reed and Simon), and the long distance asymptotics of the sum of the squares of the hydrogenic orbitals (shown to be asymptotically correct on the scale \(Z^{-1}\) by \textit{A. Iantchenko}, \textit{E. H. Lieb} and \textit{H. Siedentop} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 472, 177-195 (1996; Zbl 0846.35111)]). I.e., this paper fills the gap between these two scales. An essential part of the proof is an adaption of methods of \textit{V. Ja. Ivrii} and \textit{I. M. Sigal} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 138, No. 2, 243-335 (1993; Zbl 0789.35135)] to the question at hand. In fact, an alternative proof of the above-mentioned result of Iantchenko et al. with these methods is also offered.