Cluster temperature. Methods for its measurement and stabilization
G.N. Makarov
Institute of Spectroscopy, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Fizicheskaya 5, Troitsk, Moscow, 108840, Russian Federation
Cluster temperature is an important material parameter essential to many physical and chemical processes involving clusters and cluster beams. Because of the diverse methods
by which clusters can be produced, excited, and stabilized, and
also because of the widely ranging values of atomic and molecular binding energies (approximately from 10-5 to 10 eV) and numerous energy relaxation channels in clusters, cluster temperature (internal energy) ranges from 10-3 to about 108 K. This paper reviews research on cluster temperature and describes methods for its measurement and stabilization. The role of cluster temperature in and its influence on physical and chemical processes is discussed. Results on the temperature
dependence of cluster properties are presented. The way in which cluster temperature relates to cluster structure and to
atomic and molecular interaction potentials in clusters is addressed. Methods for strong excitation of clusters and channels
for their energy relaxation are discussed. Some applications of
clusters and cluster beams are considered.
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