Dr. Whetten plans to carry out a program of research employing laser and molecular beam techniques to synthesize and experimentally ask questions of specific-size clusters. He will use these techniques to investigate several aspects of cluster phenomena, including measurements of cluster growth patterns, of their static electromagnetic properties by beam deflection techniques, and of the strength of electron binding in neutral and negatively charged clusters. The research is important because clusters (small particles ranging in size between molecular and bulk dimensions) are at the focus on interest in several rapidly advancing technologies, including information recording, industrial catalysis, photography, and microelectronics, and as models for new materials. In particular, the origins of metallic and magnetic behavior in small particles are of great current interest.
