ON THE TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF THE IONIZATION-POTENTIAL OF SELF-COMPRESSED SOLID-METALLIC AND LIQUID-METALLIC CLUSTERS

The density functional theory and sum-rule approach are used to calcul ate the electronic chemical potential of large self-compressed metalli c clusters in the stabilized-jellium model and the two-component model that mimic the solid and the liquid state. The ionization potential i s defined as the sum of the electronic chemical potential for a neutra l cluster, and the ordinary electrostatic contribution r(2)/2R. Using the analytic expressions derived, the temperature dependencies of the work function and of the term connected with spontaneous deformation h ave been estimated. The calculations show noticeable size-shrinkage co ntributions to the ionization potential. In the two-component statisti cal version of the density functional formalism, substantial changes i nduced by a transition from cold clusters to the liquid state are obse rved.