Self-Diffusion in 2D Dusty-Plasma Liquids: Numerical-Simulation Results

Journal Article · Fri Feb 27 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.102.085002· OSTI ID:21180241

Lujing, Hou; Piel, Alexander ^[1]; Shukla, P K ^[2]

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1. IEAP, Christian-Albrechts Universitaet zu Kiel, D-24098 Kiel (Germany)
2. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)

We perform Brownian dynamics simulations for studying the self-diffusion in two-dimensional (2D) dusty-plasma liquids, in terms of both mean-square displacement and the velocity autocorrelation function (VAF). Superdiffusion of charged dust particles has been observed to be the most significant at an infinitely small damping rate {gamma} for intermediate coupling strength, where the long-time asymptotic behavior of VAF is found to be the product of t{sup -1} and exp(-{gamma}t). The former represents the prediction of early theories in 2D simple liquids and the latter the VAF of a free Brownian particle. This leads to a smooth transition from superdiffusion to normal diffusion, and then to subdiffusion with an increase of the damping rate. These results well explain the seemingly contradictory observations scattered in recent classical molecular dynamics simulations and experiments of dusty plasmas.

• OSTI ID: 21180241
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 102; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
DUSTS
INTERMEDIATE COUPLING
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS METHOD
PARTICLES
PLASMA
SELF-DIFFUSION
SIMULATION
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS