Deformation of slow liquid and solid clusters upon deposition: A molecular-dynamics study of Al cluster impact on an Al surface

Using molecular-dynamics simulation, we investigate the self-deposition of Al-n clusters (n < 4000) on an Al substrate at velocities below the velocity of sound. Both cold crystalline and hot liquid clusters are studied. We examine the cluster deformation after impact on the surface, which we quantify by its height and base radius. At a given cluster velocity, the shape of deposited crystalline clusters is rather independent of the cluster size; only at small cluster sizes, n less than or similar to 40, the clusters are less strongly deformed. With increasing cluster size, liquid clusters are more strongly deformed than crystalline clusters. Faster projectiles become more strongly flattened by the deposition process. Even clusters depositing with vanishing velocity show a finite deformation, which is considerable for smaller clusters. At large cluster speed, clusters penetrate deeper into the (10 0) surface than into the (I 11) surface and also deform more strongly. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.