The use of B-splines for calculating the electronic properties of atoms in plasmas

Standard quantum-mechanical calculations are currently used in the framework of atomic physics for plasma applications. Recently, atomic physicists working on computational techniques have come to use B-spline bases. The aim of this paper is to show how B-splines basis sets are also well adapted for the representation of bound as well as continuum electronic wavefunctions of atoms in plasmas. Some implementation details and the advantages of this approach are discussed for two typical applications, namely, the LTE confined average atom (AA) and the AA immersed in a jellium. Details concerning opacity calculations using B-splines are also given. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.