Exchange-correlation kernel in time-dependent density functional theory

In time-dependent density-functional theory, an important quantity is the exchange-correlation kernel whose knowledge allows for the calculations of the excitation spectrum of electronic systems. In most applications, the exchange-correlation kernel is approximated by the adiabatic local-density approximation, ignoring the frequency dependence and nonlocality. To gain insight into the nature of the exact exchange-correlation kernel, we have considered a two-dimensional one-band Hubbard model. The calculated exact exchange-correlation kernel reveals a number of striking features. It has a weak energy dependence up to the main excitation energy. On the other hand, the exact kernel shows a strong energy dependence in energy regions, where there are many-body excitations that are not contained in the local-density approximation, even though these excitations have small weight. It is found that a static approximation can well reproduce the main excitation peaks, but the satellite structures arising from many-body interaction are unlikely to be accounted for with a static approximation.