Nanoparticles growth in dynamic plasma

Abstract

Coagulation growth kinetics of nanoparticles in plasma is affected by inter-particle electrostatic forces due to charging phenomenon. In stationary plasmas, unipolar charging of particles results in retardation of particles growth and may result in limitation on a particle size. We demonstrate opposite effect of enhanced particles growth in atmospheric pressure non-stationary arc discharge. Modeling of the nanoparticles growth kinetics revealed the formation of bipolar charge distribution. As a result, reversed (attractive) Coulomb forces promote formation of micrometer size particles in a millisecond time scale as observed in experiment.