Hindered Coulomb explosion of embedded Na clusters -- stopping, shape dynamics and energy transport

TL;DR

This paper studies how embedded Na clusters respond to intense laser pulses, revealing slowed Coulomb explosion, rapid energy transfer to the surrounding argon matrix, and complex energy and shape dynamics.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the non-linear dynamics, energy transfer, and shape evolution of embedded Na clusters under intense laser excitation.

Findings

High charge states are temporarily stabilized for several picoseconds.

Coulomb explosion is abruptly halted due to fast energy transfer to argon matrix.

Energy disperses quickly through argon layers via sound waves.

Abstract

We investigate the dynamical evolution of a Na$_8$ cluster embedded in Ar matrices of various sizes from N=30 to 1048. The system is excited by an intense short laser pulse leading to high ionization stages. We analyze the subsequent highly non-linear motion of cluster and Ar environment in terms of trajectories, shapes, and energy flow. The most prominent effects are: temporary stabilization of high charge states for several ps, sudden stopping of the Coulomb explosion of the embedded Na$_8$ clusters associated with an extremely fast energy transfer to the Ar matrix, fast distribution of energy throughout the Ar layers by a sound wave. Other ionic-atomic transfer and relaxation processes proceed at slower scale of few ps. The electron cloud is almost thermally decoupled from ions and thermalizes far beyond the ps scale.