Noble-Gas Nanoclusters with Fivefold Symmetry Stabilized in Superfluid Helium

Journal Article · Fri May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.195506· OSTI ID:20951356

Kiryukhin, V ^[1]; Bernard, E P; Khmelenko, V V; Lee, D M ^[2]; Boltnev, R E ^[3]; Krainyukova, N V ^[4]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 (United States)
2. Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)
3. Branch of Institute of Energy Problems of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region 142432 (Russian Federation)
4. Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering, NASU, 47 Lenin Avenue, Kharkov 61103 (Ukraine)

Macroscopic samples (volume{approx}cm{sup 3}, atomic density{approx}10{sup 19}-10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}) of noble-gas nanoclusters (size{approx}5-6 nm) were produced in superfluid helium by an impurity-helium gas injection technique. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the samples consist of weakly interacting nanoclusters with fivefold symmetry, such as icosahedra and decahedra. These results open new opportunities for fundamental research of nanoclusters of noble gases and other materials in well-controlled environments using experimental techniques requiring bulk samples.

• OSTI ID: 20951356
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 19; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.195506; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GAS INJECTION
HELIUM
NANOSTRUCTURES
SUPERFLUIDITY
SYMMETRY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION