HEAVY-ION-INDUCED SPUTTERING AND CRATERING OF BIOMOLECULAR SURFACES

We measured the electronic-stopping-power dependences of mega-electron volt atomic-ion-induced sputtering and cratering of bio-organic target s. We employed a collector method to study relative total yields of sp uttered intact peptide molecules and scanning force microscopy to stud y craters formed by individual ions incident on amino acid crystals. Y ields of intact sputtered peptide molecules, measured for the first ti me, and crater volumes in the amino acid crystals showed similar, stee p dependences on electronic stopping power.