Thermal quenching of electronic shells and channel competition in cluster fission.
Experimental and theoretical studies of fission of doubly charged Li, Na, and K clusters in the low-fissility regime reveal the strong influence of electronic shell effects on the fission products. The electronic entropy controls the quenching of the shell effects and the competition between magic-fragment channels, leading to a transition from favored channels of higher mass symmetry to the asymmetric channel involving the trimer cation at elevated temperatures.
Yannouleas
Constantine
C
School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0430, USA.
Landman
Uzi
U
Bréchignac
C
C
Cahuzac
Ph
P
Concina
B
B
Leygnier
J
J