Shells in CO2 clusters

Abundance spectra of (CO2)(N) clusters up to N approximate to 500 acquired under a wide range of adiabatic expansion conditions are analyzed within the evaporative ensemble framework. The analysis reveals that the cluster stability functions display a strikingly universal pattern for all expansion conditions. These patterns reflect the inherent properties of individual clusters. From this analysis the size-dependent cluster binding energies are determined, shell and subshell closing sizes are identified, and cuboctahedral packing ordering for sizes above N approximate to 130 is confirmed. It is demonstrated that a few percent variation in the dissociation energies translates into significant abundance variations, especially for the larger clusters.

Automated summary

The abundance spectra of (CO2)(N) clusters were analyzed under a wide range of adiabatic expansion conditions, revealing a universal pattern in cluster stability functions. Individual cluster properties, size-dependent cluster binding energies, shell and subshell closing sizes, and cuboctahedral packing ordering for larger sizes were identified through the analysis. The study demonstrates that even a small variation in dissociation energies can lead to significant abundance variations, especially for larger clusters.