Comparison of Influence of the Fast Atom Beam and Ion Beam on the Metal Target

A comparative analysis of a fast atom beam and ion beam effect on a metal target in the binary collision model is performed. Irradiation by fast atoms has been shown to more closely correspond to neutron radiation in a nuclear reactor, in terms of the primary knocked-on atom spectrum and the efficiency and mechanism of the radiation defect formation. It was found that upon irradiation by fast carbon atoms with an energy of 0.2-0.3 MeV, the average number of radiation defects in the displacement cascade of one atom is four to five times higher than the calculated values using the SRIM program for ions with the same energy. It is shown that during penetration in the target, the probability of ionization of atoms with energies less than 0.4 MeV is negligible.

Automated summary

A comparative analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of fast atom beams and ion beams on a metal target, and it was found that fast atoms closely resemble neutron radiation in terms of radiation defect formation. Irradiation by fast carbon atoms leads to a significantly higher number of radiation defects compared to ions with the same energy, and the probability of atom ionization during penetration is negligible for energies lower than 0.4 MeV.