Motion of a free-standing graphene sheet induced by the collision with an argon nanocluster: Analyses of the detection and heat-up of the graphene

Nanocluster impact on a free-standing graphene is performed by the molecular dynamics simulation, and the dynamical motion of the free-standing graphene is investigated. The graphene is bended by the incident nanocluster, and a transverse deflection wave isotropically propagated in the graphene is observed. We find that the time evolution of the deflection is semiquantitatively described by the linear theory of elasticity. We also analyze the time evolution of the temperature profile of the graphene, and the analysis based on the least dissipation principle reproduces the result in the early stage of impact.

Figure 1

(Color online) A snapshot of impact of an argon cluster on a free-standing graphene sheet. The incident cluster contains 500 argon atoms. The graphene sheet contains 16 032 carbon atoms on a honeycomb lattice.

Figure 2

The deflection of the graphene sheet $\zeta$ at (a) 2.2 ps and (b) 2.8 ps after the initial hitting. The incident cluster contains 500 argon atoms, and the incident speed is 316 m/s.

Figure 3

The deflection of the graphene sheet $\zeta$ at (a) 2.2 ps and (b) 2.8 ps. The incident cluster contains 500 argon atoms, and the incident speed is 790 m/s.

Figure 4

(Color online) The MD simulation results of the mean deflection of the graphene (open circle) which are averaged over the azimuthal coordinate, and the solutions of the equation of motion, i.e., Equation (5) (red solid line) and (8) (green broken line) at (a) 2.2 ps and (b) 2.8 ps. The incident cluster contains 500 argon atoms, and the incident speed is 316 m/s. The magnitude of the impulse is $1.96\times {10}^{-22}\text{N}\cdot \text{s}$.

Figure 5

(Color online) The temperature profile of the graphene sheet $T\left(x,y\right)$ at (a) 2.2 ps and (b) 2.8 ps after the initial hitting. The incident cluster contains 500 argon atoms, and the incident speed is 316 m/s.