A source of liquid drop metal nanocluster beams: Construction and application

The principle of operation and design of the source of liquid drop metal nanocluster ions (NCI) based on the desorption effect of islet-grains from nanodispersed targets under bombardment by multi-charged ions–252Cf fission fragments are described. The NCI source allows for obtaining nanocluster ion beams with the energy 50 kV⁎q (q=1–20e) with the intensity up to ∼105 s−1. The results of the first experiments on desorption of biomolecules over the range up to 7⁎103 Da under the action of accelerated NCI of gold as well as studies of the changes of the NCI morphology and the surface itself under bombardment thereof by gold NCI are given.