Application of Thomas-Fermi model to fullerene molecule and nanotube

Abstract

Semiclassical description, based on electrostatics and Thomas-Fermi model is applied here to calculate dimensions of the electronic shell of a fullerene molecule and a nanotube. The internal radius of the electronic shell of a fullerene molecule, calculated within the framework of the model is 0.2808 nm. The external radius is 0.4182 nm. The experimental values are 0.279 nm and 0.429 nm correspondingly. This shows that semiclassical approach provides rather good description of the dimensions of the electronic shell in a fullerene molecule. Two types of dipole oscillations in a fullerene molecule are considered and their frequencies are calculated. Similar calculations are performed for a nanotube also. For a nanotube with a radius of the cylinder of the ions, Rn = 0.7 nm, the internal radius of the electronic shell, calculated within the framework of the model is 0.577 nm. The external radius is 0.816 nm. Three types of dipole oscillations in nanotube are considered and their frequencies are calculated.