Asymptotics of heavy atoms in high magnetic fields: I. Lowest landau band regions

The ground state energy of an atom of nuclear charge Ze in a magnetic field B is evaluated exactly to leading order as Z → ∞. In this and a companion work (see [28]) we show that there are five regions as Z → ∞: B < Z^4/3, B ∼ Z^4/3, Z^4/3 < B < Z³, B ∼ Z³, B > Z³. Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4 (and conceivably 5) are relevant for neutron stars. Different regions have different physics and different asymptotic theories. Regions 1, 2, and 3 are described by a simple density functional theory of the semiclassical Thomas‐Fermi form. Here we concentrate mainly on regions 4 and 5 which cannot be so described, although 3, 4, and 5 have the common feature (as shown here) that essentially all electrons are in the lowest Landau band. Region 5 does have, however, a simple non‐classical density functional theory (which can be solved exactly). Region 4 does not, but, surprisingly, it can be described by a novel density matrix functional theory. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.