Evolution of clusters in energetic heavy ion bombarded amorphous graphite-II: formation and fragmentation phenomena

Abstract

A study has been conducted into the mechanisms of evolution of clusters and their subsequent fragmentation under energetic heavy ion bombardment of amorphous graphite. The evolving clusters and their subsequent fragmentation under continuing ion bombardment are revealed by detecting various clusters in the energy spectra of the Direct Recoils emitted as a result of collisions between ions and surface constituents. The successive Direct Recoil spectra reveal that the energetics of Carbon Carbon bond formation as well as any subsequent fragmentation can be related to the processes of energy dissipation in a cylindrical volume of a few Angstrom surrounding the ion path. The dependence of cluster with m carbon atoms formation or its subsequent fragmentation into cluster with m-2 carbon atoms and diatomic carbon C2 is seen to be a function of the ionic stopping powers in this cylindrical volume.