Multiple scattering effects on stopping power of large clusters in solids

We study the effects on the electronic stopping power of large clusters in solids, resulting from multiple elastic scattering of each particle in the cluster by the target atoms, in the small-angle approximation. Evaluation of the cluster vicinage self-energy at the entrance of the target shows that large clusters may stabilize against the Coulomb explosion for a range of cluster sizes and speeds, so that the change of the cluster structure, due to multiple scattering, may have a noticeable influence on the vicinage, or interference, energy losses of clusters due to collective electronic excitations in the target. Stopping power calculations are presented for ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and $({\mathrm{H}}_{2}{)}_{50}$ clusters in an Al target, together with the results on stabilization conditions against the Coulomb explosion for $({\mathrm{H}}_{2}{)}_{{N}_{m}}$, based on self-energy considerations.