Fundamentals of ion-matter interactions

The first part of the presentation deals with slowing down of energetic ions in matter. We start with introduction of the basic concepts and parameters. The theoretical formulation for light ion electronic stopping is summarized including, e.g., the concept of stopping number and the related corrections. Comparison with experimental data is surveyed followed by discussion on nuclear stopping. The scaling of proton stopping powers to heavy ion stopping powers by the effective charge formulation is introduced. The topic of energy loss in compounds including Bragg's rule and the Core and Bonds (CAB) model is discussed next. The concepts of straggling and range are discussed to some detail. Various sources providing stopping powers for practical use are listed and the most common associated computer programs are briefly mentioned. The experimental techniques most commonly employed for extracting stopping powers are described. Finally, hadron therapy serves as a topical example where charged particle slowing down plays a clear role. The second part of the presentation deals with radiation effects in solids. The principal effects and the basic terms are briefly discussed along with features associated with defect production by ion bombardment. Common techniques employed for minimizing radiation damage and for crystal recovery are discussed by means of examples.