Using the Method of Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry for Studying the Particle-Scattering Process in a Clustered Jet

Molecular beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) has been adapted at the gas dynamic stand LEMPUS-2 to study the free molecular beam particle-scattering process on particles of the background gas. The verification of the used technique in noncondensing flows was carried out, and the results of measuring the effective scattering cross sections of argon atoms and nitrogen molecules were compared with the known literature data. The process of atoms and small argon clusters (oligomers) scattering on carbon dioxide particles located in the background space at different average sizes of clusters 〈N〉 formed in the flow is investigated. When 〈N〉 ≈ 48, the obtained scattering cross-sections for argon atoms, dimers, and trimers is 39, 17, and 6 Å2, respectively. With an increase in the average cluster size in the flow, the effective scattering cross-section of argon atoms decreases. The paper discusses the causes of the detected effect as well as the features of MBMS use for the study of supersonic clustered jets.