Study of effect of grain size on dust charging in an RF plasma using three-dimensional PIC-MCC simulations

Journal Article · Wed Mar 19 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2909180· OSTI ID:21136973

Ikkurthi, V R; Melzer, A ^[1]; Matyash, K; Schneider, R ^[2]

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1. Institut fuer Physik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald (Germany)
2. Max-Planck Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, 17491 Greifswald (Germany)

A 3-dimensional Particle-Particle Particle-Mesh (P{sup 3}M) code is applied to study the charging process of micrometer size dust grains confined in a capacitive RF discharge. In our model, particles (electrons and ions) are treated kinetically (Particle-in-Cell with Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC-MCC)). In order to accurately resolve the plasma particles' motion close to the dust grain, the PIC technique is supplemented with Molecular Dynamics (MD), employing an an analytic electrostatic potential for the interaction with the dust grain. This allows to self-consistently resolve the dust grain charging due to absorption of plasma electrons and ions. The charging of dust grains confined above lower electrode in a capacitive RF discharge and its dependence on the size and position of the dust is investigated. The results have been compared with laboratory measurements.

• OSTI ID: 21136973
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 993; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
COLLISIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DUSTS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONS
GRAIN SIZE
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
IONS
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS METHOD
MONTE CARLO METHOD
PARTICLES
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
RF SYSTEMS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS