Efficiency of arc production of fullerenes versus discharge chamber geometry. I: The axisymmetric case

The gas dynamics in a discharge chamber for arc production of fullerenes in the inert gas atmosphere is analyzed for the first time. A turbulent fanlike jet due to the carbon flow from the discharge gap is shown to be a crucial factor in the gasdynamic pattern formation. The dependence of the fraction of fullerenes extracted from the chamber on the total amount of the product is constructed, with the gas flow rate, as well as the radius and length of the chamber, being adjustable parameters. Tangential twisting of the gas, a way of improving the fullerene extraction efficiency, is considered.