Definition
Sputtering is the process in which a solid surface, as of an interstellar dust grain, is eroded by the impact of atoms or ions from the gas phase. Chemical sputtering occurs when the impacting particle has relatively low kinetic energy, chemical bonds are formed between it and the surface, and desorption of a newly formed molecule incorporating surface atoms occurs. Physical sputtering occurs when the impacting particle simply knocks surface atoms into the gas; this process can involve either thermal motion for high temperature gas or nonthermal impact if a solid particle and the gas have high relative velocities. Sputtering of interstellar grains commonly occurs in shocks.
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Irvine, W.M. (2014). Sputtering. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1498-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1498-3
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
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