The binary collision approximation and molecular dynamics methods were used to simulate low-energy atomic collision cascades in solids. The results were compared for the examples of Cu and Au self-irradiation. In the case of the molecular dynamics method, long-range N-body potentials were constructed which were similar to those that were deduced from a second moment semi-empirical tight binding model. The pair interaction contribution was splined to a screened Coulomb potential at small separations. This hybrid potential was checked for consistency against the already-assessed N-body potential. The agreement between the binary collision approximation and the molecular dynamics method was found to be closest when the binding energy of the target atoms, as modelled by using the former method, was chosen so as to have a value which was close to the cohesive energy.

M.Hou, Z.Y.Pan: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 1995, 102[1-4], 93-102