Nucleation of Sodium in a Plasma Stream with Neon

Abstract

Nucleation of sodium in a neon stream is considered within the framework of a method including the energy level width. It is shown that sodium atoms in a plasma stream with neon form metastable bi-, tri-, and tetraatomic clusters containing only sodium. Moreover, Na–Ne systems, which rapidly lose neon upon removal of the excitations, and quickly decomposing Ne–Ne systems can form under the conditions of external excitations.