Three-body polarization amplifier

Fig. 13.13. A three-body polarization amplifier, (a) A represents a non-polarizable cation, B and C are polarizable molecules (C is the amplifier), (b) An electroscope. C is a metal wire, B represents two strips of paper, (c) The molecular amplifier resembles an electroscope with A being a positively charged metal ball, C a metal wire (i.e. a body with high polarizability) and B undergoes a huge charge redistribution due to the mediation of wire C.

TE mechanism (p. 734) polarization catastrophe (p. 738) three-body polarization amplifier (p. 738) Axilrod-Teller dispersion energy (p. 741) van der Waals radius (p. 742) van der Waals surface (p. 742) supramolecular chemistry (p. 744) hydrogen bond (p. 746)... 

After recognizing that self-consistency may be achieved safely within a variational method (with the Pauli exelusion principle satisfied), this may end the story. However, it would be instructive to get a feeling for the polarization machinery. Let us pose a simple question is it possible that the polarization of molecule B by molecule A, both separated by distance R, is amplified by the presence of molecule C which is unable by itself to polarize B An interesting problem. If it appears that the mediator C might increase the polarization of A or B, C would play the role of an amplifier based on three-body induction non-additivity. 

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