MD simulations of the collision between a copper ion and a polyethylene surface: an application to the plasma–insulating material interaction

To allow a better understanding of the physical phenomena occurred between a plasma and an insulating material, we have developed a specific MD code to study this type of interaction. We report results of MD simulations of the interaction of an incoming copper ion with a polyethylene crystal surface. Three initial incoming velocities and four impact angle values are used to check the influence of both the incident energy and impact direction to the resulting surface damage. When the incoming ion velocity is sufficiently high, MD results show that the impact can cause bond breaking leading to uncoordinated carbon atoms and free hydrogen atoms. The values of local temperatures associated with the structural changes show a possible ablation of the polyethylene surface.