Monoatomic and cluster ion irradiation induced amorphous tracks in yttriumiron garnet

Track evolution in Y3Fe5O12 is analyzed in the range 0.02 MeV/nucleon<E<30 MeV/nucleon. By applying the phenomenological thermal spike model the track sizes in cluster beam experiments can be predicted within experimental err or from studies with monoatomic ion beams. It is concluded that the various energy density parameters are not useful in the description of the track e volution in the full range of track sizes. A quantitative analysis indicate s that the Waligorski distribution of delta-electron dose is not directly r elated to the velocity effect. The contributions of the electron-lattice io n and the ion-ion interactions to the energy transfer are discussed. (C) 19 98 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.