ASTRA: a Transition-Density-Matrix Approach to Molecular Ionization

Abstract: We describe \ASTRA{} (AttoSecond TRAnsitions), a new close-coupling approach to molecular ionization that uses many-body transition density matrices between ionic states with arbitrary spin and symmetry, in combination with hybrid integrals between Gaussian and numerical orbitals, to efficiently evaluate photoionization observables. Within the transition-density-matrix approach, the evaluation of inter-channel coupling is exact and does not depend on the size of the configuration-interaction space of the ions. Thanks to these two crucial features, \ASTRA{} opens the way to studying highly correlated and comparatively large targets at a manageable computational cost. Here, \ASTRA{} is used to predict the parameters of bound and autoionizing states of the boron atom and of the N$_2$ molecule, as well as the total photoionization cross section of boron, N$_2$, and formaldehyde, H$_2$CO. Our results are in excellent agreement with theoretical and experimental values from the literature.