Electrostatics for periodic films of atoms

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The total electrostatic energy of a charge distribution, periodic in two dimensions, which may consist of both point charges and a continuous distribution, is analyzed in detail. From the long-range nature of the Coulombic force, singularities arise which must be treated with considerable care. The Fourier-transform method developed by Harris and Monkhorst is carried forward, and the way in which these singularities cancel is clearly demonstrated. A convenient procedure for computing total energies is given, and various applications to periodic arrays of point charges are presented.