Desorption of matter from gold nanodispersed targets by C60 cluster ions with energy 30MeV

Abstract Gold nanodispersed targets in the size range of islet nanoparticles 1–100 nm were bombarded with fullerenes C 60 with energy 30 MeV in the mode of electronic stopping in gold ∑ (d E /d x ) el  = 71 keV/nm. The gold matter desorbed in the form of nanoclusters was detected by means of TEM. The total amount of the gold transferred was measured by neutron activation analysis. It is shown that for various sizes the yield of desorbed nanoclusters is 2–40 per C 60 ion. Targets with mean islet sizes more than 10 nm exhibited fragmentation of the islets. This fragmentation resulted in a change of the size distribution of the desorbed nanoclusters, compared with that of the target islets and in an increase in the number of small fragments (∼5 nm) per impinging ion. Full transfer of gold reached a high value of ∼3 × 10 5  at./ion. The main part of the transferred matter was contained in the desorbed nanoclusters or fragments. The results are discussed.