Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2005

Department

Physics & Computer Science

Abstract

Ion channeling through a single-wall carbon nanotube is simulated by solving Newton’s equations for ion motion at intermediate energies, under the action of both the surface-atom repulsive forces and the polarization forces due to the dynamic perturbation of the nanotube electrons. The atomic repulsion is described by a continuum potential based on the Thomas-Fermi-Moliere model, whereas the dynamic polarization of the nanotube electrons is described by a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, giving rise to the transverse dynamic image force and the longitudinal stopping force. In the absence of centrifugal forces, a balance between the image force and the atomic repulsion is found to give rise to ion trajectories which oscillate over peripheral radial regions in the nanotube, provided the ion impact position is not too close to the nanotube wall, the impact angle is sufficiently small, and the incident speed is not too high. Otherwise, the ion is found to oscillate between the nanotube walls, passing over a local maximum of the potential in the center of the nanotube, which results from the image interaction. The full statistical analysis of 103 ion trajectories has been made to further demonstrate the actual effect of dynamic polarization on the ion channeling.

Comments

This article was originally published in Physical Review A, 72(2): 023202-1-023202-7. © 2005 American Physical Society

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