The morphology of collision cascades as a function of recoil energy

An analytical method based on defect densities has been devised to determine the threshold energies for subcascade formation in computer simulated collision cascades. Cascades generated with the binary collision code MARLOWE in Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Fe, Mo and W were analyzed to determine the threshold energy for subcascade formation, the number of subcascades per recoil per unit energy and the average spacing of subcascades. Compared on the basis of reduced damage energy, metals of the same crystal structure have subcascade thresholds at the same reduced energy. The number of subcascades per unit reduced damage energy is about the same for metals of the same crystal structure, and the average spacing of subcascades is about the same in units of lattice parameters. Comparisons between subcascade threshold energies and average recoil energies in fission and fusion neutron environments show the spectral sensitivity of the formation of subcascades.