MOLECULES OF JELLIUM DIMERS - A SIMPLE VIEW OF THE ELECTRON CLOUD IN SMALL METAL-CLUSTERS

A simple tight-binding-like model of the electronic structure of simple metal clusters is presented which relies on the special stability of the first shell closures at N-e1 = 2 and N-e1 = 8. The wavefunctions, energy levels, and ground state deformations of the ''ultimate jellium model'', which is based on a full Kohn-Sham treatment of the electrons, can be explained relying on a simple geometrical growth pattern complemented by an extremely simplified Hamiltonian matrix. The bulk and surface limits of the model also yield reasonable results.