Abstract
The authors propose a new type of four-parameter trial function to approximate Schrodinger's equation for the ground state of H-, obtained by combining characteristics of a modified 1929 wavefunction by Bethe and a 1944 wavefunction by Chandrasekhar. Explicit calculation of the scaling parameter through the virial theorem reduces the optimisation to three parameters, two of which are linear ones. The results are even better than those reported by Williamson in 1942 using six parameters.