It is shown that the binding of a helium atom to a metal surface is well described using the local-density approximation to treat exchange and correlation effects. The self-consistent solution is in turn well approximated by the effective-medium theory. In this theory the interaction is dominated by a repulsive term proportional to the surface electron density.

• Received 25 August 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.27.4612