SOME MODEL-CALCULATIONS OF CARBON CLUSTER GROWTH-KINETICS

Simple kinetic mechanisms are used to model the features of ionic carbon clusters that have been observed by laser vaporization mass spectrometry. The basis of the mechanism involves only stepwise addition of small species (C to C3) followed by collisional quenching. The model is used to examine experimental observations including the variation of cluster size distributions with plasma density, the formation of "magic" numbers, the formation of predominantly even clusters, the loss of hydrogen from the clusters in the presence of a hydrogen-containing plasma, and the effect of isomerization of n > 31 on the high mass distribution. Substantial agreement between experimental observations and the kinetic model are obtained, and the effect of more complicated processes are discussed. © 1990 American Institute of Physics.