Modified potentials in many-body perturbation theory

Many-body perturbation-theory calculations of the pair-correlation energy within the regime of various finite expansions in two-center Slater-type basis sets are performed using a wide variety of modified potentials for the determination of unoccupied orbitals. To achieve meaningful convergence, it appears that the perturbation series must be carried through third order, using shifted denominators to include contributions from various higher-order diagrams. Moreover, certain denominator shifts are found necessary to ensure that a negative-definite resolvent accompanies the perturbation scheme when an arbitrary modified potential is employed. Through third order with denominator shifts, well-behaved modified potentials are found to give results that are equivalent, within 1 kcal/mole, to those obtained for pair-correlation energies with the standard self-consistent-field-$V^N$ potential.