We present a method for computing optical absorption spectra by means of a
Bethe-Salpeter equation approach, which is based on a conserving linear
response calculation for electron-hole coherences in the presence of an
external electromagnetic field. This procedure allows, in principle, for the
determination of the electron-hole correlation function self-consistently with
the corresponding single-particle Green function. We analyze the general
approach for a "one-shot" calculation of the photoabsorption cross section of
finite systems, and discuss the importance of scattering and dephasing
contributions in this approach. We apply the method to the closed-shell
clusters Na_4, Na^+_9 and Na^+_(21), treating one active electron per Na atom.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure