Multiply charged anionic metal clusters

The stability and decay channels of multiply charged anionic metal clusters are studied using the uniform jellium background model and the local density approximation, with self-interaction corrections when necessary. Shell effects are introduced using an adaptation of the nuclear Strutinsky method. Singly charged anions are stable for all sizes, but multiply charged negative ions are stable against spontaneous electron decay only above certain critical sizes. Below the border of stability, the anions are metastable against electron tunneling through a Coulombic barrier. Lifetimes for such decay processes are estimated. Fission channels may compete with the electron autodetachment and are studied for the case of doubly charged anions.