The effect of radiative cooling on the size-dependent stability of small boron clusters

• The mass spectrum of cationic boron clusters, BN+ (N = 5 − 20), after photoexcitation demonstrates that radiative cooling is an important, though often neglected, process in determining the relative stability of small and isolated particles. The observed intensities inmass spectra suggest that B5+, B11+, B13+, and B15+ are particularly stable clusters, consistent with density-functional theory calculations. Quantitative agreement, however, is only obtained if radiative cooling is included in the analysis.All clusters are found to radiate onmicrosecond timescales, suggesting recurrent fluorescence as the dominant photon emission process.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Boron

clusters

radiative cooling

stability

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)