Plasma oscillations in fullerene molecules during electron capture

The anomalously wide energy range for the formation of long-lived negative molecular ions during electron capture by fullerene molecules is explained by the excitation of collective electron (plasma) oscillations in these molecules. A model for such excitations for fullerenes C$_{60}$ and C$_{70}$ is proposed on the basis of the Thomas–Fermi model. This model provides good correlation between the experimental curves of resonant electron capture and the theoretical energy dependences of the density of plasma oscillation modes.