Anomalous reduction of stage-I recovery in nickel irradiated with heavy ions in the energy range<i>100–120</i>MeV

Abstract

Anomalous reduction of the stage-I recovery is found in Ni irradiated near 10 K with 100--120-MeV Si, Cl, Br, and I ions. This reduction cannot be explained within the framework of the defect production and the radiation-annealing process only by nuclear collision. High-density electron excitations by energetic heavy ions and subsequent electron-phonon interactions play an important role in the annihilation of the stage-I interstitials.