Experimental investigation on argon cluster sizes for conical nozzles with different opening angles

Abstract

Using Rayleigh scattering measurement, we experimentally studied the effect of the opening angle of conical nozzles on the average sizes of argon clusters produced by high-pressure argon gas (up to 50 bars) expanding into vacuum. Both the scattering signal intensity and the scattering image were synchronically recorded by a photomultiplier tube and a charge-coupled device camera. These measurements allow for the comparison of average cluster sizes among conical nozzles of different opening angles. The experimental results indicate that, as expected by Hagena's scaling law, the argon cluster size is dependent on the opening angle. However, it is also found that (1) the cluster size exhibits a larger deviation from Hagena's scaling law at high backing pressure for a nozzle of a smaller opening angle and (2) the smaller the opening angle of conical nozzle gets, the weaker the pressure dependence of cluster size becomes. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3475514]