Abstract
The various craters formed by giant objects, macroscopic collisions and nanoscale impacts exhibit an intriguing resemblance in shapes. At the same time, the arc plasma built up in the presence of sufficiently high electric fields at close look causes very similar damage on the surfaces. Although the plasma–wall interaction is far from a single heavy ion impact over dense metal surfaces or the one of a cluster ion, the craters seen on metal surfaces after a plasma discharge make it possible to link this event to the known mechanisms of the crater formations. During the plasma discharge in a high electric field the surface is subject to high fluxes (∼10 25 cm −2 s −1) of ions with roughly equal energies typically of the order of a few keV. To simulate such a process it is possible to use a cloud of ions of the same energy. In the present work we follow the effect of such a flux of ions impinging the surface in the “shower” manner, to find the transition between the different mechanisms of crater formation. We also introduce the “shower”-like regime of ion bombardment (underdense cloud of ions) as a subsequent regime between the single ion impact (a rare “shower”) and cluster ions (densely packed cloud).
Highlights
That huge craters modify faces of planets is part of common knowledge since the ancient times
The plasma–wall interaction is far from a single heavy ion impact over dense metal surfaces or the one of a cluster ion, the craters seen on metal surfaces after a plasma discharge make it possible to link this event to the known mechanisms of the crater formations
The similarity of crater shapes caused by giant asteroids and meteorites, bombs, explosives, gun bullets, and the microcraters seen on solid surfaces exposed to cluster ion irradiation is very well know
Summary
That huge craters modify faces of planets is part of common knowledge since the ancient times. The application of a very high electric field does cause a damage in the shape of craters, seen on the surfaces of metal parts after a plasma discharge (Fig. 1). MD simulations of such ion ‘‘showers’’ give results very close to the experimentally observed ones [8], which strongly suggests that the side craters are formed by the ‘‘ion shower’’ Mostly this damage comprises a large area of a solidified metal liquid, the craters seen aside from the main spot resemble greatly the craters from ion and cluster ion impacts (Fig. 1). By the ion ‘‘shower’’ we understand a regime of ion impacts with the ultra high fluxes, observed when a plasma is formed in sufficiently high electric fields
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
