Multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock calculation for the bound-free photodetachment cross section ofH−

The photodetachment cross section of the ${\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{-}}$ ion has been obtained with the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock method extended to compute the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock continuum wave function. The electron correlation and polarization effects that are very important for photodetachment cross-section calculation have been taken into account in an ab initio manner through the configuration-interaction procedure. Our results are compared with other accurate and elaborate theoretical calculations and with experiment. It is found that the present results are in excellent agreement with experiment throughout the range of energies considered. The theoretical results obtained by other accurate methods are also in very close agreement with the present results.