Clusters

One of theAtomic cluster foremost reasons for studying atomic and molecular clusters is to understand those mechanisms that relate the properties of the bulk material to the properties of the particles the material is made of. When we inquire into what stage of the “AufbauAufbau principle” (in English, “construction”) process single atoms collect together to form a cluster having the properties we know for an extended solid, we have to ask a number of questions which all have different answers depending on the specific property being considered. Indeed, for some properties, there is no answer because the properties change so slowly as the cluster grows that we cannot distinguish any clear dividing line between a cluster and a solid.