title: Optimization of ground- and excited-state wave functions and van der Waals clusters.
abstract: A quantum Monte Carlo method is introduced to optimize excited-state trial wave functions. The method is applied in a correlation function Monte Carlo calculation to compute ground- and excited-state energies of bosonic van der Waals clusters of up to seven particles. The calculations are performed using trial wave functions with general three-body correlations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Nightingale
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Melik-Alaverdian