Structure of large argon clusters Ar_N, 10~3 < N < 10~5: experiments and simulations

摘要

Contrary to expectation, large argon clusters Ar_N, 10~3 < N < 10~5, do not adopt the bulk fcc crsytal structure. Rather they contain a mixture of fcc, hcp, and random close-packed regions, with no signficant preference for fac. This can be concluded from a simulation of observed electron diffraction patterns of large unsupported argon clusters with structural models. The new diffraction patterns exhibit features that have not been detected previously in experiments with smaller clusters; these features can unambiguously be attributed to hc stacking.