A pulsed microplasma source of high intensity supersonic carbon cluster beams

A novel, pulsed, supersonic, cluster-beam source based on microplasma ablat ion has been realized and tested. Its intensity and stability allows one to overcome the limitations encountered in laser vaporization and pulsed are cluster sources. Supersonic carbon cluster beams have been obtained and cha racterized. Target ablation processes and cluster growth have been investig ated, showing the presence of mechanisms substantially different from those observed in other plasma-based sources. In particular, we show that the pr ecise confinement of the ablation plasma in the source is of fundamental im portance for the production of cluster beams with high intensity and stabil ity. This opens new opportunities for the study of free and supported clust ers and for the synthesis of nanostructured materials.