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Coulomb explosion and thermal spikes.

E M Bringa1, R E Johnson

  • 1Engineering Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, USA. ebringa@llnl.gov

Physical Review Letters
|April 17, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Fast ions create damage tracks in solids. New simulations show Coulomb explosion, not standard spike models, explains this phenomenon at high excitation densities, revealing insights into material modification.

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics
  • Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

  • Energetic ions interacting with solids induce electronic excitation, leading to material damage tracks.
  • Ion track formation is utilized for material modification and was historically used for particle detection.
  • Coulomb explosion and thermal spike models have been proposed to explain ion track effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying mechanisms of ion track formation, specifically electronic sputtering.
  • To reconcile competing models (Coulomb explosion vs. thermal spike) describing ion track effects.
  • To clarify the role of Coulomb explosion in high-density electronic excitation events.

Main Methods:

  • Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to model electronic sputtering.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The simulations focused on the process of track formation at the material surface.
  • The study analyzed conditions of high electronic excitation density.

    • Main Results:

    • Simulations demonstrate that Coulomb explosion, under conditions of high excitation density and minimal quenching, results in a thermal spike.
    • Standard thermal spike models were found to be inadequate for describing these observed phenomena.
    • Electronic sputtering is shown to be a surface manifestation of the broader ion track formation process.

    Conclusions:

    • Coulomb explosion is not in competition with thermal spike models but can produce a spike effect at high excitation densities.
    • The findings challenge the established understanding of ion track formation mechanisms.
    • This research provides a more accurate model for understanding how fast ions modify materials.