Synthesis of silica: Metals nanocomposites and modification of their structure by swift heavy ion irradiation

Ions with energies larger than 100 keV/amu produce high densities of electronic excitations in narrow cylindrical volumes around their path. The perturbation of the electronic system is transferred to the atomic network, leading to structural transformations such as the nucleation of metal particles in glasses and to changes in the particle size, shape or spatial distribution in nanocomposites. Results of our group concerning irradiation effects in silica-metal composites are discussed in terms of thermal spikes and hammering mechanisms.