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Asymmetric fission of small doubly-charged sodium clusters, investigated via a local-spin-density molecular-dynamics method, is shown to occur predominantly via Na₍^+2Na₍-₃^++Na₃^+, for 412. For the smallest cluster (n6), fission is barrierless, while fission of larger ones involves barriers. For n=8, 10, and 12 the barriers are 0. 16, 0. 71, and 0. 29 eV, respectively, reflecting the closed-shell stability of the parent with n=10. The fission barriers for n>8 exhibit a double-hump shape, and the dynamics of fission involves a precursor mechanism.
Barnett et al. (Mon,) studied this question.