Evidence for a size-dependent melting of sodium clusters

Abstract
Geometric shell structure in the mass spectra of sodiumclusters was found to disappear as the clusters were heated. The exact temperature at which the shells disappeared was dependent on the size of the clusters. These observations are interpreted as evidence for a size‐dependent melting. Clusters containing 1000 atoms appear to melt at 288 K, clusters containing 10 000 atoms at 303 K. Both values lie well below the bulk melting temperature of 371 K.
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