Figure 1

(Color online) Calculated isomer structures for $\mathrm{Au}_n{}^{-}$ clusters with $11⩽n⩽16$ are shown at the top of each panel with corresponding diffraction patterns of $sM\left(s\right)$ vs $s$ $\left({\mathrm{A}}^{-1}\right)$ depicted below (dotted curve). Experimental diffraction $sM\left(s\right)$ (solid curve, online red) along with the best fit (dotted curve, online blue) are shown at the bottom. The gray (online green) shading shows the data uncertainty $\pm \sigma$. The energy of the isomer above that of the ground state (GS) is shown on the right for each isomer. The diffraction intensity has arbitrary units. The isomers that constitute the best fit are marked by a red frame in each panel.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(Color online) Similar to Fig. 1 for diffraction data and isomer structures for $\mathrm{Au}_n{}^{-}$ clusters with $17⩽n⩽21$ and $n=24$.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

(Color online) The ground state tubular structure of $\mathrm{Au}_{24}{}^{-}$ is shown (on the left) in end-on and perspective views to emphasize the symmetry aspects of the structure. A comparison of the structures of gold cluster anions with $n=24$ and $n=16$ atoms is also shown on the right. The tubular structure is seen best in the second and third images from the left, and it consists of three stacked six-member rings with the center one (dark gray balls, online green) being hexagonal and the other two having threefold symmetry (black balls, online red). The outer six-member rings are each capped by a three-atom triangle (light gray balls, online yellow).Reuse & Permissions