Recent experiment was done to create surface nano-structures by extrusion of slow highly charged ions with LiNbO3 single crystal. In this paper, we suggest a mechanism based on plasma expansion approach to explain the formation of the surface nano-structures. Furthermore, the effects of the physical parameters of the non-Maxwellian plasma on the created structures are examined.

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Slow highly charged ions (HCIs) were used to create a plasma region of nanometer scale on the surface of different materials. The creation of the plasma in a localized region is accompanied by the formation of surface nanostructures. The plasma expansion approach is used to explain the creation mechanism of HCI-induced nanostructures in lithium niobate single crystals, considering the Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian electron distributions. The numerical solutions of the applied hydrodynamic equations show that the profile of the early stage expanded plasma is independent of the ratio of ion-to-electron temperatures. However, an increase in the temperature ratio leads to a wider expansion domain. In addition, the effect of material constituents ions are studied in terms of the modifications induced in the plasma-expanded region.