It was recalled that, during simple binary collision simulations of energetic ion-initiated collision cascades, particles were assumed to undergo a series of binary collisions with their surroundings. In the case of molecular dynamics simulations, it was difficult to define exactly what was meant by a collision because the interaction potentials were infinite in nature and each particle was thus considered to interact with all of the other particles. By finding a suitable definition for a collision in molecular dynamics studies, it was possible to compare the temporal behavior, of the number of collisions which occurred during the propagation of a collision cascade, with respect to the 2 simulation methods. An investigation was made of the number of collisions, as a function of time, that occurred in collision cascades. These results were compared with the time-ordered version of a popular computer program. By further defining what characterized a many-body collision, an investigation was made of the numbers of many-body collisions that occurred during a number of collision cascades.

I.R.Chakarov, R.P.Webb, R.Smith, K.Beardmore: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 1995, 102[1-4], 145-50