Electronic Shell Structure and Abundances of Sodium Clusters

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Mass spectra are presented for sodium clusters of N atoms per cluster (N=4−100) produced in a supersonic expansion with argon carrier gas. The spectra show large peaks or steps at N=8, 20, 40, 58, and 92. These can be understood in terms of a one-electron shell model in which independent delocalized atomic 3s electrons are bound in a spherically symmetric potential well.