Combined computational and experimental study of Ar beam induced defect formation in graphite

Irradiation of graphite, commonly used in nuclear power plants, is known to produce structural damage. Here, experimental and computational methods are used to study defect formation in graphite during Ar irradiation at incident energies of 50 eV. The experimental samples are analyzed with scanning tunneling microscopy to quantify the size distribution of the defects that form. The computational approach is classical molecular dynamic simulations that illustrate the mechanisms by which the defects are produced. The results indicate that defects in graphite grow in concentrated areas and are nucleated by the presence of existing defects.