Nanocluster evolution in molecular chains of water under the low-energy ion irradiation

The goal of this work is to investigate self-organization processes in molecular chains of water using computer simulation. We have investigated nonlinear molecular chains of water with areas that correspond to the potential with covalent and hydrogen bonds between H-O-H atoms. The calculation experiment was made by a molecular dynamics method. A generalized potential that describes hydrogen bonds more precisely was chosen as the potential of atomic interaction. Molecular chains were exposed to low-energy ion impact by two means: mono beam and plasma treatment. The amount of the energy transferred to atoms of the chain was varied but it must have been less than the energy needed to break the chain. We have showed that nonlinear oscillations of atoms in the chain were excited very intensively which led to self-organization processes and as a result to the displacement of atoms and their stabilization in new position, which resulted in the formation and development of new metastable atomic groups, in particular nanoclusters. We have also showed that collapse of the chains with high-energy nanocluster formation was observed in molecular chains of water. Stabilization in new positions can be described as molecular memory.