Production of Various Carbon Nanoclusters by Impact Reaction Using Light-Gas Gun as Simulation of Asteroid Collisions in Space

Abstract

An impact production of carbon nanoclusters is carried out in nitrogen gas using a two-stage light-gas gun. A small polycarbonate ball (or a stainless steel ball) is injected at about 6.5 km/s into a pressurized target chamber to collide with an aluminum target (or a hexane + aluminum target) in 1 atm of nitrogen gas. We can confirm the production of many types of carbon nanoclusters such as aluminum-encapsulated carbon nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and balloonlike nanocarbons. Therefore, it is expected that many types of carbon nanoclusters are produced by impact reactions of asteroids in space, when such reactions take place in a carbon-rich atmosphere. Particularly on Titan satellite, a large number of carbon clusters produced by impacts of asteroids are expected to be stored.