The interplay between shell effects and electron correlations in quantum dots

We use the Path Integral Monte Carlo method to investigate the interplay between shell effects and electron correlations in single quantum dots with up to 12 electrons. By use of an energy estimator based on the hypervirial theorem of Hirschfelder we study the energy contributions of different interaction terms in detail. We discuss under which conditions the total spin of the electrons is given by Hund's rule, and the temperature dependence of the crystallization effects.