Anomalous kinetic energy of a system of dust particles in a gas discharge plasma

The system of equations of motion of dust particles in a near-electrode layer of a gas discharge has been formulated taking into account fluctuations of the charge of a dust particle and the features of the nearelectrode layer of the discharge. The molecular dynamics simulation of the system of dust particles has been carried out. Performing a theoretical analysis of the simulation results, a mechanism of increasing the average kinetic energy of dust particles in the gas discharge plasma has been proposed. According to this mechanism, the heating of the vertical oscillations of dust particles is initiated by induced oscillations generated by fluctuations of the charge of dust particles, and the energy transfer from vertical to horizontal oscillations can be based on the parametric resonance phenomenon. The combination of the parametric and induced resonances makes it possible to explain an anomalously high kinetic energy of dust particles. The estimate of the frequency, amplitude, and kinetic energy of dust particles are close to the respective experimental values.     

On the interaction of microparticles with ion flux in gas discharge plasma

The charging and interaction of microparticles in the gas discharge near-electrode region, where the role of the external electric field and ion drift is significant, are considered. It is shown that the ion focusing, responsible for, as is generally accepted, the formation of vertical linear dust structures, is strongly suppressed under conditions typical of experiments with dusty plasma (i.e., the gas discharge at pressures of 10–100 Pa). The contribution of ions trapped by an ion microparticle to the dusty particle charge is estimated. It is shown that trapped ions can appreciably reduce the microparticle charge.     

Effect of the size of nanoparticles on the properties of a capacitive high-frequency discharge

The properties of a capacitive HF discharge with growing nanoparticles are studied with the use of kinetic PIC-MCC simulation. At the initial stage of growth, the nanoparticles are shown to be localized at the interface between the near-electrode layer and quasi-neutral plasma, where the rate of ionization by electron impact has the maximum value. At the beginning of formation of particles, plasma parameters change rapidly and a transition between the capacitive and spatial discharge burning modes is observed for a certain critical size of the particles. If the growth of the dust particles continues, their distribution over the discharge becomes more uniform and the steady-state parameters of the gas-discharge plasma hardly change.     

Laser-Induced Phase Transition in a Monolayer of Polymer Particles Levitating in a Low-Pressure Gas-Discharge Plasma

We report on the results of analysis of the mean kinetic energy and the pair correlation function of polymer particles in a plasma–dust structure under the action of laser radiation. We have observed experimentally the crystal–liquid phase transition in the monolayer of particles levitating in the near-electrode layer of a capacitive high-frequency discharge. The coupling parameter of the dust system has been estimated. The results of analysis of the modification of the polymer dust particle surface after holding in the plasma are considered. We propose an explanation of the phase transition taking into account the role of the photophoretic force in the motion of macroparticles. The effect of the photophoretic force is associated with the modification of the dust particle surface in the plasma, as a result of which the particles can effectively absorb laser radiation.     

Formation of near-electrode charge in asymmetric lasers with a transverse RF discharge

The electric characteristics of the discharge in asymmetric laser tubes are measured. The difference between the same characteristics in laser tubes of standard design is explained by the specifics in near-electrode charge formation.     

Laser-excited dust lattice waves in plasma crystals

Laser-excited waves in a two-dimensional dust plasma crystal have been observed experimentally in a parallel plate rf discharge. The measured dispersion relation is compared with theoretical models. Agreement is found with dust lattice waves, whereas deviations from dust acoustic waves exist. From the dispersion relation of a dust lattice wave the screening of the particles in the rf sheath is determined.     

Physical aspects of dust–plasma interactions

Low-pressure gas discharge plasmas are known to be strongly affected by the presence of small dust particles. This issue plays a role in the investigations of dust particle-forming plasmas, where the dust-induced instabilities may affect the properties of synthesized dust particles. Also, gas discharges with large amounts of microparticles are used in microgravity experiments, where strongly coupled subsystems of charged microparticles represent particle-resolved models of liquids and solids. In this field, deep understanding of dust–plasma interactions is required to construct the discharge configurations which would be able to model the desired generic condensed matter physics as well as, in the interpretation of experiments, to distinguish the plasma phenomena from the generic condensed matter physics phenomena. In this review, we address only physical aspects of dust–plasma interactions, that is, we always imply constant chemical composition of the plasma as well as constant size of the dust particles. We also restrict the review to two discharge types: dc discharge and capacitively coupled rf discharge. We describe the experimental methods used in the investigations of dust–plasma interactions and show the approaches to numerical modelling of the gas discharge plasmas with large amounts of dust. Starting from the basic physical principles governing the dust–plasma interactions, we discuss the state-of-the-art understanding of such complicated, discharge-type-specific phenomena as dust-induced stratification and transverse instability in a dc discharge or void formation and heartbeat instability in an rf discharge.     

Self-oscillations of macroparticles in the dust plasma of glow discharge

Two types of instabilities emerging in dust-plasma systems with a spatial gradient of the macroparticle charge are considered. It is shown that the change in the macroparticle charge is an effective mechanism for exciting dust self-oscillations in a laboratory plasma. The results of experimental observations and an analysis of the conditions for the development of various self-oscillations of macroparticles in the strata of a dc glow discharge are presented.     

Effect of the size of nanoparticles on the properties of a capacitive high-frequency discharge

The properties of a capacitive HF discharge with growing nanoparticles are studied with the use of kinetic PIC-MCC simulation. At the initial stage of growth, the nanoparticles are shown to be localized at the interface between the near-electrode layer and quasi-neutral plasma, where the rate of ionization by electron impact has the maximum value. At the beginning of formation of particles, plasma parameters change rapidly and a transition between the capacitive and spatial discharge burning modes is observed for a certain critical size of the particles. If the growth of the dust particles continues, their distribution over the discharge becomes more uniform and the steady-state parameters of the gas-discharge plasma hardly change. Original Russian Text ? I.V. Shveigert, F.M. Peeters, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 657–661.     

Nonequilibrium mechanisms of weak electrolyte electrification under the action of constant voltage

The formation of space charge in weak electrolytes, specifically in liquid dielectrics, has been considered. An analytical solution is given to a simplified set of Nernst–Planck equations that describe the formation of nonequilibrium recombination layers in weak electrolytes. This approximate analytical solution is compared with computer simulation data for a complete set of Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations. It has been shown that the current passage in weak electrolytes can be described by a single dimensionless parameter that equals the length of a near-electrode recombination layer divided by the width of the interelectrode gap. The formation mechanism and the structure of charged nonequilibrium near-electrode layers in the nonstationary regime have been analyzed for different injection-to-conduction current ratios. It has been found that almost all charge structures encountered in weak dielectrics can be accounted for by the nonequilibrium dissociation–recombination mechanism of space charge formation.     

Effect of a constant magnetic field on echo signals in high-temperature superconductor powders

The generation of acoustic and vortex oscillations in high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) powders excited by radiofrequency (rf) pulses was analyzed in detail in our earlier publications. The rf magnetic field stimulates oscillations of magnetic vortices on the surface of an HTSC grain, which are transformed into lattice vibrations via the pinning centers at the surface, thus inducing a propagating acoustic wave. The allowance for second-order nonlinearity in the gradient of deviation of the crystal lattice from its equilibrium position in the equation for the acoustic wave leads to a dependence of the natural frequency of crystal lattice vibrations on the amplitude and duration of pulses exciting these vibrations. Such a dependence is responsible for echo signals that can be detected experimentally. The proposed model makes it possible to interpret most experimental results for BiPbSrCaCuO superconducting samples. We consider the effect of a constant magnetic field on the amplitude and the echo signal decay time. We observed a clearly manifested peak that was not described by other authors. The model proposed here provides an obvious explanation for this peak.     

Analysis of pair correlation functions for macroscopic particles in dusty plasmas: Numerical simulation and experiment

Pair correlation is analyzed for systems of macroscopic particles with various isotropic interaction potentials. Under certain conditions, the behavior of the pair correlation function is determined by an effective order parameter and its decrease toward infinity follows an asymptotic power law. When the effective parameter is smaller than a certain critical value, the decay of pair correlation is much steeper. Experimental results concerning the form of the pair correlation function are presented for liquid-like dust structures localized in the near-electrode plasma sheath of a high-frequency capacitive discharge. An analysis of numerical and experimental results shows that melting dynamics in these systems are analogous to those characteristic of a topological phase transition.     

Bending of the magnetic fluid surface in the electric field of a plane capacitor

The behavior of magnet particles in an insulating fluid exposed to an electric field is studied. The surface of the fluid in the electrode gap changes because of the space charge forming in the near-electrode layer.     

Kinetic simulations of argon dusty plasma afterglow including metastable atom kinetics

The afterglow of a dusty plasma of rf discharge in argon is simulated by the particle-in-cell-Monte Carlo collision (PIC-MCC) method. The experimental observation that heavy dust contamination of plasma leads to an anomalous increase in the electron density at the beginning of afterglow is explained by release of electrons from the dust surface. Under the assumption that the floating potential of particles is in equilibrium with plasma conditions, the fast cooling of electrons in afterglow plasma due to a rapid escape of hot electrons from the volume leads to a decrease in the magnitude of the floating potential and hence to a loss of charge by dust. The intensive desorption of electrons from nanoparticles is the origin of anomalous behavior of the electron density. At the next stage of afterglow, when the electrons become cool, the plasma decay is defined by ambipolar diffusion. The effect of metastable argon atoms is also considered. Additional ionization due to metastable atom collisions affects the electron temperature but does not change the behavior of the electron density qualitatively.     

Self-consistent charge-up simulation for the microscopic feature of SiO2 layer in rf capacitive discharge

The charge-up simulation of the microscopic feature with SiO₂ layer was investigated in various conditions of rf capacitive discharge by using the three-dimensional (3-D) particle-in-cell (PIC) charge-up simulation coupled with the one-dimensional (1-D) particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision (PIC-MCC) simulation of rf capacitive argon discharge. The result showed that the charge-up effect on the micro-trench was greatly influenced by the conditions of the gas pressure and the discharge voltage in rf capacitive discharge. Based on the analysis of the distributions of electrons and ions arriving at the substrate in various plasma conditions, the charge-up effect and its reduction mechanisms on the micro-trench of capacitive discharge were discussed. This article is expected to provide qualitative and quantitative insight for the understanding of charging and its reduction mechanism on many plasma processes performed by the rf capacitive discharge.     

Dust particles in collisionless plasma sheath with arbitrary electron energy distribution function

Dust particles often appear in industrial plasmas as undesirable product of the plasma-wall interactions. Large particles of several micrometers in diameter are concentrated in a thin layer (the sheath) above the lower electrode of the rf driven parallel plate device, where the electric force is strong enough to compensate particle’s gravity. Experimental and theoretical uncertainties are significantly increased in the plasma sheath. Common models of dust charging in the plasma sheath suppose the Maxwellian electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in conjunction with a flux of cold ions satisfying classical Bohm criterion at the sheath edge. In this paper we generalize this model to arbitrary EEDF with adapted Bohm criterion. We limit our considerations to collisionless or slightly collisional plasma, where the EEDF inside the sheath is expressed through the EEDF in the plasma bulk. Derived theoretical formulas are incorporated into numerical model, describing collisionless radio frequency (rf) plasma sheath together with the electrical charge, various kinds of forces, balancing radius and oscillation frequency of particles.     

RF generation of the plasma jet channel for the jet PCVD

Breakdown conditions for creation of the hollow cathode discharge in the nozzle passed through the rf powered electrode and creation of the plasma jet channel in PCVD reactor are studied. Pure nitrogen is used for measurements. The creation of jet channel is easier for smaller rf electrodes. The breakdown depends on the pressure and on the gas inflow rate. The plasma potential and the self-bias potential is influenced by the covering of reactor walls and the rf electrode by a dielectric layer.     

Pattern phenomena in an rf discharge dusty plasma system

Various dust patterns are observed in an rf discharge dusty plasma system. According to the dust growth process from small to large in size, the formation of different dust patterns can be divided into two stages: the small-particle stage (or dust cloud stage), and the large-particle stage (or dust crystal stage). The evolution relations between different dust patterns with gas pressure changing are investigated. Dust voids, dust acoustic waves and strong turbulence modes are presented at the small-particle stage. The self-organized dust lattices and dust clusters are investigated at the large-particle stage. The static structure of a dust lattice is characterized by means of the pair correlation function. Dust clusters formed by particles with different numbers and the regular evolution of the clusters with gas pressure are also investigated. The packing sequences of dust clusters are verified through two-dimensional confined molecular dynamics simulations.     

The existence of two forms of unipolar gas-breakdown discharge

The existence of two forms of unipolar gas-breakdown discharge that depend on the pulse-repetition frequency and the polarity of high-voltage pulses is experimentally revealed. These two forms differ in their intensities, the distribution of luminescence on the discharge length, and their volt-ampere characteristics. The transition from one discharge form to another proceeds in a narrow frequency range and is caused by the breakdown of the near-electrode layer in some critical field under the inclusion of ion-electron emission process. The transition frequency increases with the growth of the gas pressure and a decrease of the pulse amplitude. The development of discharge instability and the hysteresis of its parameters are observed in the transition area.     

Plasma Interaction with Boundary Surfaces in Low-Pressure Radio-Frequency Capacitive Discharge

A particular case of a problem on interaction of plasma with a surface is examined experimentally. We study interaction of its own plasma with boundary surfaces in a low-pressure radio-frequency (RF) capacitive discharge (RFCD) by considering their functions. On the basis of the physical model of RFCD substantiated earlier, we examine experimentally the physical conditions taking place in a near-electrode layer of space discharge, which lead to formation of pulsed electron beams and highly non-equilibrium plasma electron energy spectrum. We verify experimentally the known fact that in RFCD it is possible to generate natural oscillating LC circuits modulating the discharge current, and the conditions of their excitation by their own electron beams are clarified.