The properties of low energy neutral particles in a neutral beam source: A molecular dynamics study

Application of a hyperthermal neutral beam source is one of the candidate methods of reducing plasma induced damage problems. The neutral beam is generated by vertical collisions between energetic ions and a reflector composed of metal. However, it is difficult to measure the neutral angle and energy distribution experimentally. We simulate the hyperthermal neutral beam (HNB) generation using a molecular dynamics algorithm. In order to obtain a low energy neutral beam, ions with various energies are vertically projected onto the reflector surface. A rough surface structure that has been experimentally measured is used for a realistic simulation. The energy distributions are obtained and the ratio of energy of reflected neutral particles agrees with experimental data.