Enhanced Sputtering of Small Grains

Details Enhanced Sputtering of Small Grains Enhanced Sputtering of Small Grains

Sep 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996dps....28.1906j&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #28, #19.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 28, p.1128

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The erosion of the small grains a process relevant in both planetary and stellar environments, is studied using a modified Monte Carlo transport code to calculate the sputtering rate. The calculations, calibrated to the laboratory sputtering data for semi-infinite materials, describe the erosion from edges and back surfaces by the incident particle and energetic recoils. It is usually assumed that the sputtering of the small grains is a linear process, i. e. that the grain size decreases monotonicaly under the plasma bombardment. We show that erosion rate increases substantially when the ion penetration depth becomes comparable to the grain radius. The enhancement calculated here for small grains affects their lifetime in planetary and stellar environments. In the case of the Saturn's E-Ring our calculations show that energetic keV ions rapidly erode submicron grains. This might explain narrow size particle distribution of the E-ring. Also, the enhancement calculated here place more severe constraints on grain growth in the interstellar medium.

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