Modeling structural changes in metals upon irradiation with nanoclusters by means of molecular dynamics in combination with the thermal spike model

A model of structural changes in a copper target when irradiated with Cu(147) nanoclusters is studied by means of molecular dynamics, supplemented by the thermal spike model. The results from modeling structural changes include the density and depth of penetration of the nanocluster atoms into the bombarded target, depending on the energy of the nanoclusters. The shapes of the sources in the thermal spike model for describing the energy losses of nanoclusters in a target are determined.