Lifetime and decomposition pathways of a chemically bound helium compound

Quantum dynamics calculations of the lifetime of HHeF, a first predicted chemically bound helium compound was reported using accurate interactions computed from electronic structure theory. The potential along the path of minimum energy leading from the species to its decomposition products was required for a good estimate of the lifetime. The calculation of the tunneling process from the zero-point vibrational state of the molecular species yield the lifetime, the molecules that had extremely long tunneling decay times on laboratory time scales appeared stable. The values were computed at a level of accuracy beyond the harmonic approximation using correlation-corrected vibrational self-consistent field(CC-SCF) method.