Accurate electron affinities of small carbon clusters

Coupled-cluster calculations with large basis sets have been used to calculate the electron affinities of Cn (n=1–5). Accurate geometries have been calculated, and correlation and basis set effects have been analyzed. The most complete calculations yield results in excellent agreement with experiment, and are a significant improvement over previous calculations. The results suggest the assignment of the photodetachment data to adiabatic electron affinities, rather than vertical electron detachment energies.