Partial photoionization cross sections of large mercury clusters and liquid mercury in the vacuum ultraviolet photon energy region

Photoelectron spectra for neutral mercury clusters (up to a size of 109 atoms) and liquid mercury have been recorded for several different photon energies between 7.1 eV and 10.6 eV. For both large mercury clusters (Hg _x ,x≥60) and liquid mercury a strong increase of the partial photoionization cross sections near threshold with decreasing photon energy is observed. This shows clearly that the local electronic structure of large mercury clusters is very similar to the electronic structure of the metallic bulk material.