A nonlinear thermal spike model for pyrolytic graphite under irradiation with 86Kr and 209Bi high-energy heavy ions

Abstract

The temperature dependences of the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity are introduced for a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite; i.e., the nonlinear model of a thermal spike is considered and a comparative analysis of the obtained results and those for the linear model of a thermal spike is performed. The temperature effects observed in the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite with a change in the electron-phonon interaction coefficient g are investigated in detail. It is shown that, under irradiation of the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite by bismuth ions with an energy of 710 MeV, the temperature on the surface of the target within the framework of the nonlinear model can exceed the sublimation temperature, whereas the temperature on the surface of the target under irradiation by krypton ions with an energy of 253 MeV does not exceed the sublimation temperature. The characteristic range of variations in the electron-phonon interaction coefficient g is evaluated. For values of g in this range, the thermal spike model explains the experimental data on the presence of structures in the form of hillocks with craters at their centers on the surface of the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite exposed to irradiation by 209Bi ions and on the absence of such structures in the case of irradiation by 86Kr ions.