Allowable number of plasmons in nanoparticle

We address thermal and strength phenomena occurring in metal nanoparticles due to excitation of surface plasmons. The temperature of the nanoparticle is found as a function of the plasmon population, allowing for the Kapitza heat boundary resistance and temperature dependencies of the host dielectric heat conductivity and the metal electrical conductivity. The latter is shown to result in the positive thermal feedback which leads to appearance of the maximum possible number of plasmon quanta in the steady-state regime. In the pulsed regime the number of plasmon quanta is shown to be restricted from above also by the ponderomotive forces, which tend to deform the nanoparticle. Obtained results provide instruments for the heat and strength management in the plasmonic engineering.