Simulation of the interaction of free Cu–Bi clusters with low-energy single atoms and clusters of argon

Abstract

The molecular-dynamics simulation of free bipartite Cu–Bi clusters and, for comparison, Cu–Au clusters consisting of 390 atoms equally divided between the corresponding monometallic parts under bombardment by Ar, Ar₂, and Ar₁₃ particles with initial energies ranging from 1 to 1400 eV is carried out. Two sets of computer experiments for the 5- and 100-ps evolution of the system are conducted. The sputtering yields of single-component parts of the cluster and the number of polyatomic fragments of the sputtered material are obtained. The dependences of the potential energy and temperature on the energy and sizes of the bombarding particles are plotted. The evolution of the sputtering of bimetallic bipartite clusters from a collision cascade to the thermal one is shown; the thermal sputtering in this case is due to atom evaporation from cluster surfaces caused by high temperatures.