  We perform unrestricted Hartree-Fock (HF) calculations for electrons in a
parabolic quantum dot at zero magnetic field. The crossover from Fermi liquid
to Wigner molecule behavior is studied for up to eight electrons and various
spin components $S_z$. We compare the results with numerically exact
path-integral Monte Carlo simulations and earlier HF studies. Even in the
strongly correlated regime the symmetry breaking HF solutions provide accurate
estimates for the energies and describe the one-particle densities
qualitatively. However, the HF approximation favors the formation of a Wigner
molecule and produces azimuthal modulations of the density for even numbers of
electrons in one spatial shell.
