Electric Potential Around an Absorbing Body in Plasmas: Effect of Ion-Neutral Collisions

Journal Article · Fri Jun 06 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.100.225003· OSTI ID:21132485

Khrapak, S A; Klumov, B A; Morfill, G E ^[1]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, D-85741 Garching (Germany)

A simple linear kinetic model is used to investigate the combined effect of plasma absorption and ion-neutral collisions on the electric potential around a small absorbing body in weakly ionized plasmas. It is demonstrated that far from the body the potential decays considerably slower than the conventional Debye-Hueckel potential. Moreover, at distances exceeding approximately the ion mean free path, the potential approaches an unscreened Coulomb-like asymptote. Some important consequences of this result are discussed in the context of complex (dusty) plasmas.

• OSTI ID: 21132485
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 22; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.225003; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ION COLLISIONS
IONS
MEAN FREE PATH
PLASMA
POTENTIALS