Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 10: Methods: Electronic structure theory & Methods: other (theory)

O 10.9: Talk

Monday, March 22, 2010, 17:00–17:15, H31

Particle redeposition and the non-local damping term in the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation — •Nils Anspach and Stefan Linz — Institut für Theoretische Physik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Deutschland

Ion-beam erosion processes have recently regained the focus of both experimental and theoretical physicists due to the fact that they can induce the formation of regular and well-ordered patterns on surfaces under low-energy ion bombardement. The so far most promising model for the evolution of the surface’s height profile under normal ion incidence is the non-local Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation (KSE) which is able to reproduce the experimentally observed structures. However it is still unclear what the physical origin of the non-local damping term in the KSE might be. Motivated by some speculation in the literature that redeposition of eroded particles back to the surface could possibly be the relevant mechanism here, we have developed a conceptually simple one-dimensional model that catches the essence of a potential redeposition process while simultaneously neglecting all other surface effects included in the KSE. This model and its inherent properties are investigated in considerable detail [1]. After that, the obtained results are then compared to the non-local damping term in order to discuss the potential role of particle redeposition as the driving force behind this term.
[1] N. Anspach, S. J. Linz, submitted for publication.