Spatial and energy distributions of the fragments resulting from the dissociation of swift molecular ions in solids

We have simulated the spatial evolution and energy loss of the fragments that result when swift molecular ions dissociate inside solid targets. In our calculations we have considered that these fragments undergo the following interactions: Coulomb repulsion (among like charged particles), stopping and wake forces (due to electronic excitations induced in the target), and nuclear scattering (with the target nuclei). We study the case of silicon targets irradiated with boron molecular or atomic ions; our results show that the main differences in the energy and spatial distributions of molecular fragments or atomic ions appear at shallow regions, and these tend to disappear at deeper depths. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.