Modelling the transient processes produced under heavy particle irradiation

TL;DR

This paper introduces an analytical model for thermal spikes caused by nuclear energy loss during heavy particle irradiation, focusing on temperature-dependent diffusivity, and compares it with previous models that include ionization effects.

Contribution

The paper presents a new analytical model for thermal spikes under heavy particle irradiation, excluding ionization energy loss, and analyzes its validity and accuracy.

Findings

Model accurately describes thermal spikes for power-law diffusivity.

Comparison shows differences with previous models including ionization effects.

Errors from approximations are quantified.

Abstract

A new model for the thermal spike produced by the nuclear energy loss, as source of transient processes, is derived analytically, for power law dependences of the diffusivity on temperature, as solution of the heat equation. The contribution of the ionizing energy loss to the spike is not included. The range of validity of the model is analysed, and the results are compared with numerical solutions obtained in the frame of the previous model of the authors, which takes into account both nuclear and ionization energy losses, as well as the coupling between the two subsystems in crystalline semiconductors. Particular solutions are discussed and the errors induced by these approximations are analysed.