arXiv subjects

S. I. Kovalenko

Publications and source records attributed to S. I. Kovalenko.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2014

The fcc-hcp transition in single-component and binary van der Waals clusters from electron difraction data

An electron diffraction study of nucleation and growth of the hcp phase in large pure Ar and mixed Ar-Kr clusters formed by supersonic jet expansion is carried out. The threshold cluster size corresponding to the appearance of an hcp phase in addition to the fcc structure is determined. It is found that the relative volume of the hcp phase in clusters increases with their size. In very large aggregations, the percentage of hcp phase reaches its maximum and does not change with further cluster growth. The hcp phase relative volume in mixed clusters is almost double that in pure Ar clusters of the same size. A correlation between the hcp phase relative volume and the number of defective planes contained in the fcc matrix, which are the nuclei of the hcp phase, is established. A mechanism of nucleation and growth of the hcp phase in rare gas clusters is proposed.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2014

Size and composition of clusters produced by supersonic expansion of binary gas mixtures

Size and composition of clusters produced by adiabatic expansion of binary gas mixtures (Ar-Kr, Kr-Xe, and N2-Ar) with various component concentrations are studied by using electron-diffraction technique. The resulting homogeneous and heterogeneous clusters are shown to have compositions substantially different from those of the primary gas mixtures and dependent on cluster size. We have found that the key parameters needed for an analysis of cluster composition are the critical cluster radius and the heavier component concentration in the gas mixture that can be used to establish the regions of existence of homogeneous and heterogeneous clusters. These critical values determine the coefficient of the enrichment of clusters with the heavier component with respect to its concentration in the primary gas mixture. Theoretical relations are obtained which provide a good quantitative description of the experimental results and can be expected to be also valid for finding the composition of binary clusters of other van der Waals systems.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2009

Exciton-impurity luminescence from noncrystalline xenon-argon clusters

For the first time in binary mixtures of solid rare gases exciton-impurity luminescence is observed from a xenon-argon system containing argon as impurity. An exciton-impurity emission band is registered for binary clusters with the structure of multilayer icosahedron. The optical transition occurs from an energy level lying very close to the lowest level of volume excitons in bulk xenon samples. The results demonstrate the possibility of probing excitonic levels in noncrystalline condensed media.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2007

Luminescence evidence for bulk and surface excitons in free xenon clusters

Cathodoluminescence spectra of free xenon clusters produced by condensation of xenon-argon gas mixtures in supersonic jets expanding into vacuum were studied. By varying initial experimental parameters, including xenon concentration, we could obtain clusters with a xenon core (300-3500 atoms) covered by an argon outer shell as well as shell-free xenon clusters (about 1500 atoms). The cluster size and temperature (about 40 K for both cases) were measured electronographically. Luminescence bands evidencing the existence of bulk and surface excitons were detected for shell-free xenon clusters. The emission from bulk excitons in small clusters is supposed to be due to processes of their multiple elastic reflections from the xenon-vacuum interface. A presence of an argon shell causes extinction of the excitonic bands. In addition, some new bands were found which have no analogs for bulk xenon cryosamples.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2006

Direct observation of free excitons in luminescence spectra of xenon clusters

Luminescence of surface and free bulk excitons is detected in xenon for the first time for substrate-free rare-gas clusters. Xenon clusters were produced by the method of gas condensation in a supersonic jet emitted into vacuum. Optical study was accompanied by electron diffraction measurements to determine the structure of clusters.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2006

Phase separation in mixed argon-xenon clusters

In this paper, electron diffraction and optical methods are used together for the first time to study the problem of phase equilibrium in binary clusters of heavy rare gases. For the argon-xenon system, a new effect of its decay into pure components with a sharp interface between the xenon core and the argon shell is observed.

physics.atm-clus↗