Including the effects of electronic stopping and electron–ion interactions in radiation damage simulations

Radiation damage is traditionally modelled using cascade simulations, and the effect of inelastic scattering by electrons, if included, is introduced via a friction term in the equation of motion. We have developed a model in which the molecular dynamics simulation is coupled to a model for the electronic energy, which evolves via the heat diffusion equation. Energy lost by the atoms, due electronic stopping or electron–ion interactions, is input to the electronic system via a source term in the diffusion equation. Energy is fed back to the atomic system from the hot electrons by means of a Langevin thermostat, which depends on the local electronic temperature. Results of the model are presented for 10 keV cascades in Fe.