Isotope shift in the electron affinity of lithium.

Very accurate electron affinity (EA) calculations of (6)Li and (7)Li (and (infinity)Li) have been performed using explicitly correlated Gaussian functions and a variational approach that explicitly includes the nuclear motion in the calculations (i.e., the approach that does not assume the Born-Oppenheimer approximation). The leading relativistic and quantum electrodynamics corrections to the electron affinities were also calculated. The results are the most accurate theoretical values obtained for the studied systems to date. Our best estimates of the (7)Li and (6)Li EAs are 4984.9842(30) and 4984.9015(30) cm(-1), respectively, and of the (7)Li/(6)Li EA isotope shift is 0.0827 cm(-1).