Nanotubes stretched in liquid-metal-ion-sources and their influence on isotopic anomalies

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The present paper argues that an intense electric field (few $\mathrm{V}∕\mathrm{\AA{}}$) provides an alternative method to stretch matter and to form nanotubes locally. The very high electric field is supplied by a liquid-metal-ion-source (LMIS). Intriguing aspects are displayed by the LMIS mass spectra of some pure elements. The periodicity of pure Ge or Sn LMIS, i.e., series of equidistant peaks such ${{\mathrm{Ge}}_{6n+1}}^{3+}$ with $n=3--8$ or ${{\mathrm{Ge}}_{6n+4}}^{3+}$ with $n=7--14$ or the formation of unexplained ${{\mathrm{Au}}_{8}}^{3+}$ and ${{\mathrm{Au}}_{16}}^{3+}$ ions for the pure Au LMIS, is attributed to the existence of Ge, Sn, or Au nanotubes in operating LMIS. LMIS results on a eutectic ${\mathrm{Au}}_{0.73}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{0.27}$ alloy show the formation of a gold nanotube associated with the strong ${{\mathrm{Au}}_{8}}^{3+}$ emission. The ${{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2}}^{+}$ emitted near the gold nanotube interacts with a larger electric field than in the pure Ge LMIS provoking a bond break in heteroisotope dimers and therefore isotope anomalies in dimer emission.