Thermal quenching of electronic shells and channel competition in cluster fission

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electronic shell effects influence the fission pathways of alkali metal clusters, demonstrating that temperature-induced electronic entropy changes shift the preferred fission channels from symmetric to asymmetric configurations.

Contribution

It provides a combined experimental and theoretical analysis of electronic shell effects and their temperature dependence in cluster fission, highlighting the transition in favored fission channels.

Findings

Electronic shell effects significantly influence fission outcomes.

Temperature increases lead to a transition from symmetric to asymmetric fission channels.

Electronic entropy plays a key role in quenching shell effects.

Abstract

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.