MECHANISM OF CARBON NANOTUBE FORMATION IN THE ARC-DISCHARGE

A model for carbon nanotube formation in the are discharge has been de veloped. The model is based on the physical properties of the are disc harge plasma where the interplay of the two major components of the bi modal carbon velocity distribution (Maxwellian and directed) dominates the nanotube creation process in a zone near the cathode surface. The processes of seed structures and nanoparticles formation, termination , and restart of nanotube growth, and multishell tube formation are co nsidered self-consistently. The proposed model can explain qualitative ly most of the known experimental facts related to the nanotube format ion. Comparison to experiments has been provided and some consequences of the model discussed.