Localizability of Electrons in Atoms and Molecules—Application to the Study of the Notion of Shell and of the Nature of Chemical Bonds

Abstract

The importance of the correlations existing between the positions of electrons in atoms and molecules has recently been stressed. A new method for the study of these correlations is presented here. It consists in the decomposition of the space of an electronic system into small parts where there is a very large probability of finding one and only one electron of a given spin. This method allows the association of spherical rings to the shells of atoms and the association of space to the atomic core and to the bonds of molecules.