Threshold separation distance for attractive interaction between dust particles
- Islamic Azad University-Ardabil Branch, Ardabil (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
- Department of atomic and molecular physics, University of Tabriz, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
Interaction between dust grains in a dusty plasma could be both repulsive and attractive. The Coulomb interaction between two negatively charged dust particulates and the electrostatic force between them are repulsive, while the shadowing force affecting them is attractive. We show in this paper that in some experimental conditions, there is some grain separation zone for which the attractive shadowing force is larger than the repulsive forces between them. In experimental conditions, for the grains separation distance r = 0.4 cm the shadowing force is almost equal to the electrostatic force between them and for r>0.4 cm the shadowing force exceeds the electrostatic force. So the resultant interaction force will be attractive. The possibility of dust crystal formation in this zone and also the motion of dust particles in the resultant potential of the form V = -(a/r)+(b/r{sup 2}) will be discussed. This form of potential comes from the combination electrostatic (F{sub es} (c/r{sup 3})) and shadowing (F{sub shadow} = -(d/r{sup 2})) forces.
- OSTI ID:
- 21251280
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1041, Issue 1; Conference: 5. international conference on the physics of dusty plasmas, Ponta Degada, Azores (Portugal), 18-23 May 2008; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2997134; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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