Eur. Phys. J. D 52, 27-30 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2008-00255-3

Multiply negatively charged aluminium clusters II.

Production of Al_n^3-

Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, 17487 Greifswald, Germany

Corresponding author: ^a walsh@physik.uni-greifswald.de

Received: 19 September 2008
Published online: 24 January 2009

Abstract

Earlier experiments [Eur. Phys. J. D 43, 241 (2007)] investigating the production of aluminium cluster dianions have been extended to larger cluster sizes for the purpose of producing higher charge states. Polyanions are produced using the “electron-bath technique" which involves the exposure of monoanionic clusters to a bath of low-energy secondary electrons. In this contribution the production of Al_n^3- is investigated as a function of cluster size. Relative trianion yields (number of trianions produced relative to the number of precursor anions) were observed to increase from a few percent up to 55% within ~30 cluster sizes. The observed appearance size (n = 103) is in reasonable agreement with the predictions of classical models.