It was recalled that a heavy multi-charged ion which moved in a solid interacted with the nuclei and electrons of the host atoms. At projectile velocities which exceeded the Bohr velocity, the main process involved the excitation and ionization of bound electrons. Elastic interactions were the result of electrostatic repulsion of the multi-charged ion nucleus by the target atom nucleus, and were the key mechanism for point defect production over the entire velocity range. The familiar method of elastic interaction cross-section calculations for velocities below the Bohr velocity was modified here so as to apply it to velocities that were above the Bohr velocity when the projectile was a multi- charged ion. The elastic interaction cross-section was obtained by taking account of the velocity dependence of the ion charge and of the screening length (which was also a function of the velocity). Attenuation of the screening effect led to a marked increase in the defect production cross-section. It was found that the increase in elastic energy loss could barely be distinguished from the usual results. It was shown that the cooling of excited electrons could be described by using a non-linear heat conduction equation with an analytical solution. A possible mechanism for latent track formation was proposed.

J.N.Yavlinskii: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 1996, 115[1-4], 594-7