2008 Volume 6 Pages 307-311
Molecular dynamics simulations are presented for the angular collisions of 561-atom icosahedral cluster on a weakly attractive substrate. We study the effect of rotational motion of the cluster at various impact velocities and incident angles. The outcome of the collision is determined by incident kinetic energy of the cluster and the cluster-surface adhesion energy. Energy losses are greater when the collisions of the cluster with initial angular velocity are considered. At larger impact angles, the cluster loses a relatively larger amount of rotational kinetic energy by the collision. The transition from reflection to adhesion is observed at high initial angular velocities due to increase in the rotational kinetic energy and plastic deformation of the cluster. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2008.307]