Observing Argon Clusters in a Conical Expansion

Measurement of Mean Argon Cluster Size Argon clusters are large molecules which can form in gas jets, however they are very unstable molecules because they are held together only by weak electrostatic forces. Clusters have been used in nonlinear optics, chemical reactions, x-ray generation, and as a target for high power lasers. (DeArmond et al. 2008) We are interested in finding the parameters that determine the mean cluster size. Due to the instability of these molecules, we must use non-destructive techniques to measure the mean cluster size. One such method is measuring Rayleigh scattered light from a laser passing through the jet. The second method is using interferometry to measure the index of refraction of the clusters. Using these measurements it is possible to estimate the mean cluster size. We will present our scattering data and relate it to mean cluster size.http://opus.ipfw.edu/stu_symp2014/1002/thumbnail.jp