Thermal radiation of gold clusters on microsecond time scales

• Small positively charged gold clusters have been found to emit thermal radiation at a very high rate, with time constants ranging from one to 35μs for Aun + (n = 6–13,15). For sizes n = 14,16–20 the radiation occurs on much longer time scales. Strong thermal suppression of the population of higher-lying states puts constraints on the possible energies of excited states that can contribute to the radiation. Taking that into account, an evaluation of the experimentally determined rate constants shows that the strong radiation originates from thermally excited low-lying electronic states hitherto not observed. The origin of these states is discussed and two possibilities are suggested: one is related to electron correlation and electron pairing, and the other results from thermal shape fluctuations.

Subject headings

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

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

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)