Photoelectron spectroscopy study of free potassium clusters: Core-level lines and plasmon satellites

Free neutral potassium clusters of two different mean sizes were produced using a gas aggregation source. The K 3p core level was probed by means of synchrotron radiation based photoelectron spectroscopy. The absolute binding energy and the intensity ratio of the surface and bulk spectral features were used to obtain independent estimates of the cluster size. Plasmon satellites in core level spectra of free metallic clusters were observed. Surface and bulk plasmon energies were determined. The interplay between the core line and plasmon integrated intensities is discussed