  Variational MonteCarlo and Diffusion MonteCarlo calculations have been
carried out for cations like Li$^+$, Na$^+$ and K$^+$ as dopants of small
helium clusters over a range of cluster sizes up to about 12 solvent atoms. The
interaction has been modelled through a sum-of-potential picture that
disregards higher order effects beyond atom-atom and atom-ion contributions.
The latter were obtained from highly correlated ab-initio calculations over a
broad range of interatomic distances.
  This study focuses on two of the most striking features of the microsolvation
in a quantum solvent of a cationic dopant: electrostriction and snowball
effects. They are here discussed in detail and in relation with the nanoscopic
properties of the interaction forces at play within a fully quantum picture of
the clusters features.
