Abstract
We demonstrate that the model of zero-range potentials can be successfully employed for the description of attached electrons in atomic and molecular anions, for example, negatively charged carbon clusters. To illustrate the capability of the model we calculate the energies of the attached electron for the family of carbon cluster anions consisting of two-, three- (equilateral triangle) and four (tetrahedron) carbon atoms equidistant from each other as well as for a C3 molecule having a chain structure. The considered approach can be easily extended to carbon clusters containing an arbitrary number of atoms arranged in an arbitrary configuration.