This research is an interdisciplinary program on the production of nanometer sized metal clusters as a potential source of new materials. Clusters of gold, silver, copper, and aluminum will be produced by a two stage rapid expansion of these vapors in an inert carrier gas. Particles will be captured, transferred, and compacted to "macroscopic" samples under high vacuum conditions to preserve surface purity of the nanosized particles. These macroscopic samples, both as produced and after sintering or hot pressing, will be characterized as to grain size, grain shape, degree of consolidation, elasticity, and hardness. Nucleation and growth of the clusters will be modeled using Monte Carlo calculations employing the embedded atom method for computation of the potential energies of various atoms in clusters of modest sizes and different configurations.
