Experiments on metastable states of three-dimensional trapped particle clusters

Journal Article · Tue Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2903549· OSTI ID:21120222

Block, D; Piel, A ^[1]; Kaeding, S; Melzer, A ^[2]; Baumgartner, H; Bonitz, M ^[3]

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1. IEAP, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet, D-24098 Kiel (Germany)
2. Institut fuer Physik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet, D-17487 Greifswald (Germany)
3. ITAP, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet, D-24098 Kiel (Germany)

Small three-dimensional charged-dust clusters, so-called Yukawa balls, are analyzed with regard to their construction principle. For that purpose, in an experimental approach, different (metastable) configurations of clusters with fixed particle number (N<100) have been generated under identical plasma and trapping conditions. Metastable states are frequently observed. In combination with molecular dynamics simulations, it is shown that particle interaction with screening strongly affects the appearance probabilities of metastable configurations. Small clusters show different average density distributions with screened interaction compared to pure Coulomb, although having the same ground state configurations.

• OSTI ID: 21120222
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2903549; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
GROUND STATES
MESONS
METASTABLE STATES
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS METHOD
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PARTICLES
PLASMA
POTENTIAL ENERGY
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TRAPPING