Quantum oscillations in the kinetic energy density: Gradient corrections from the Airy gas

We derive a closed-form expression for the quantum corrections to the kinetic energy density in the Thomas-Fermi limit of a linear potential model system in three dimensions (the Airy gas). The universality of the expression is tested numerically in a number of three-dimensional model systems: (i) jellium surfaces, (ii) confinement in a hydrogenlike potential (the Bohr atom), (iii) particles confined by a harmonic potential in one and (iv) all three dimensions, and (v) a system with a cosine potential (the Mathieu gas). Our results confirm that the usual gradient expansion of extended Thomas-Fermi theory does not describe the quantum oscillations for systems that incorporate surface regions where the electron density drops off to zero. We find that the correction derived from the Airy gas is universally applicable to relevant spatial regions of systems of types (i), (ii), and (iv), but somewhat surprisingly not (iii). We discuss possible implications of our findings to the development of functionals for the kinetic energy density.