GENERAL AXIAL SHAPES OF SODIUM CLUSTERS

The shell correction method is applied to calculate the shapes and bin ding energies of Na clusters. The axial equilibrium shapes are calcula ted by minimizing five deformation parameters simultaneously. Strong d eviations from spheroidal shapes including reflection asymmetric ones are found. The influence of cluster deformation on the separation ener gies and ionization potentials and on the splitting of the photo - res onance are compared with the available experimental data. The N-depend ence of the cluster shape and its relation to the N- and Z-dependences of the nuclear shape is discussed.