TEMPERATURE EFFECTS IN THE COULOMBIC FISSION OF STRONTIUM CLUSTERS

Coulombic fission of triply charged strontium atom clusters is studied for previously photoheated clusters by unimolecular dissociation expe riments. It is shown that the predominant fission channel Sr-n(3+) --> Sr-n-p(2+) + Sr-p(+) depends on the degree of internal excitation of the triply charged parent. Such a result shows evidence of the role pl ayed by the entropy in the dynamics of fission process. [S0031-9007(98 )07801-6].