Ordering of dust particles in dusty plasmas under microgravity

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 2005 · Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.71.045401· OSTI ID:20641418

Totsuji, Hiroo; Totsuji, Chieko; Ogawa, Takafumi; Tsuruta, Kenji ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Okayama University, Tsushimanaka 3-1-1, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan)

Structure formation of dust particles in dusty plasmas under microgravity has been simulated by the molecular dynamics method. It is shown that, at low temperatures, dust particles are organized into layered spherical shells. The number of shells is a function of the system size and the strength of screening by ambient plasma particles, while the dependency on the latter is much weaker. In the simulation, the condition of the charge neutrality satisfied by the system of dust particles and plasma particles is properly taken into account.

• OSTI ID: 20641418
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics, Vol. 71, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.71.045401; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-651X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
DUSTS
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS METHOD
PARTICLES
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
WEIGHTLESSNESS