A Supersonic Crowdion in Mica Ultradiscrete Kinks with Energy between 40K Recoil and Transmission Sputtering

Abstract

In this work we analyze in detail the behaviour and properties of the kinks found in an one dimensional model for the close packed rows of potassium ions in mica muscovite. The model includes realistic potentials obtained from the physics of the problem, ion bombardment experiments and molecular dynamics fitted to experiments. These kinks are supersonic and have an unique velocity and energy. They are ultradiscrete involving the translation of an interstitial ion, which is the reason they are called crowdions. Their energy is below the most probable source of energy, the decay of the 40K isotope and above the energy needed to eject an atom from the mineral, a phenomenon that has been observed experimentally.