HYDRODYNAMIC DESCRIPTION OF THE MECHANISM
OF FORMATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES

G. V. Abramov, A. I. Ivanov,
and G. V. Popov

UDC 533.95:544.272

The electric-arc process of synthesis of carbon nanotubes 
has been investigated with the aim of searching for the mechanical 
trajectories of the ionic component of a carbon arc plasma and evaluating 
their influence on the formation of carbon nanotubes on the cathode. 
The conclusion on the predominantly ionic composition of the plasma 
has been drawn on the basis of experimental study of the degree of 
ionization. It has been proposed that a magnetohydrodynamic model 
be used for description of the motion of the charged component. The 
calculated region of the predominant accumulation of carbon ions has 
been compared to the actual distribution of carbon nanotubes.

Voronezh State Academy of Technology, 19 Prospekt Revolutsii, 
Voronezh, 394000, Russia; email: pgw@vgta.vrn.ru. Translated 
from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 80, No. 6, pp. 49-56, 
November-December, 2007. Original article submitted April 11, 
2006; revision submitted December 14, 2006.