Elementary Many‐Particle Processes in Plasma Microfields

The effect of electric and magnetic plasma microfields on elementary many‐body processes in plasmas is considered. As detected first by Inglis and Teller in 1939, the electric microfield controls several elementary processes in plasmas as transitions, line shifts and line broadening. We concentrate here on the many‐particle processes ionization, recombination, and fusion and study a wide area of plasma parameters. In the first part the state of art of investigations on microfield distributions is reviewed in brief. In the second part, various types of ionization processes are discussed with respect to the influence of electric microfields. It is demonstrated that the processes of tunnel and rescattering ionization by laser fields as well as the process of electron collisional ionization may be strongly influenced by the electric microfields in the plasma. The third part is devoted to processes of microfield action on fusion processes and the effects on three‐body recombination are investigated. It is shown that there are regions of plasma densities and temperatures, where the rate of nuclear fusion is accelerated by the electric microfields. This effect may be relevant for nuclear processes in stars. Further, fusion processes in ion clusters are studied. Finally we study in this section three‐body recombination effects and show that an electric microfield influences the three‐body electron‐ion recombination via the highly excited states. In the fourth part, the distribution of the magnetic microfield is investigated for equilibrium, nonequilibrium, and non‐uniform magnetized plasmas. We show that the field distribution in a neutral point of a non‐relativistic ideal equilibrium plasma is similar to the Holtsmark distribution for the electrical microfield. Relaxation processes in nonequilibrium plasmas may lead to additional microfields. We show that in turbulent plasmas the broadening of radiative electron transitions in atoms and ions, without change of the principle quantum number, may be due to the Zeeman effect and may exceed Doppler and Stark broadening as well. Further it is shown that for optical radiation the effect of depolarization of a linearly polarized laser beams propagating through a magnetized plasma may be rather strong. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Ionization Equiibrium and Composition of a Dense Partially Ionized Metal Plasma

In the present work we determine the ionization equilibrium of dense tungsten, aluminum and iron plasmas by solving the Saha equations with corrections due to non‐ideality. The lowering of the ionization potentials is calculated on the basis of effective potentials by taking screening and quantum effects into account (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Formation of large‐scale structures in four‐component dusty plasmas

A possibility of self‐organization of magnetized four‐component dusty plasmas to double Beltrami (DB) state is explored. It is found that for a specific set of Beltrami parameters, the four‐component dusty plasma self‐organizes to DB state. The DB state characterized by two scale parameters may represent a paramagnetic or diamagnetic field structure. The impact of Beltrami parameters, charge and densities of dust grains on formation of self‐organized structures has also been investigated. This study has potential relevance to the formation of large‐scale structures in astrophysical plasmas.     

Dynamics of spin-1/2 quantum plasmas

The fully nonlinear governing equations for spin-1/2 quantum plasmas are presented. Starting from the Pauli equation, the relevant plasma equations are derived, and it is shown that nontrivial quantum spin couplings arise, enabling studies of the combined collective and spin dynamics. The linear response of the quantum plasma in an electron-ion system is obtained and analyzed. Applications of the theory to solid state and astrophysical systems as well as dusty plasmas are pointed out.     

Instabilities in Yukawa Liquids

A strongly coupled Yukawa liquid is a system of charged particles which interact via a screened Coulomb interaction and in which the electrostatic energy between neighboring particles is larger than their thermal energy but not large enough for crystallization. Various plasma systems including ultracold neutral plasmas and complex (dusty) plasmas can exist in this strongly coupled liquid phase.Here we investigate instabilities driven by the relative streaming of plasma components in three‐dimensional Yukawa liquids with a focus on complex plasmas. This includes a dust acoustic instability driven by weakly coupled ions streaming through the dust liquid, and a dust‐dust instability driven by the counter‐streaming of strongly coupled dust grains. Compared to the Vlasov behavior we find there can be a substantial modification of the unstable wavenumber spectrum due to strong coupling effects (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dynamics of Filament Formation in Laser Produced Collisional Magnetoplasma

The paper presents an investigation of growth dynamics of spike in a collisional magneto plasma in the presence of externally applied magnetic field. We have set up and solved the non‐linear differential equations for growth and width of the laser spikes. We have considered the mechanism of nonuniform heating of carriers along the wavefront which is important in collisional plasmas. The effect of intensity of main beam and magnetic field on growth dynamics of spikes is studied (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of axial magnetic field and nonextensivity on small amplitude dust acoustic solitary waves in dusty plasma

The nonlinear propagation of small amplitude dust‐acoustic (DA) solitary waves in magnetized dusty plasma consisting of negatively charged mobile dust fluid, and Boltzmann‐distributed electrons and ions with two distinct temperatures following a q‐nonextensive distribution are investigated. In this article, a number of nonlinear equations, namely, the Korteweg–de‐Vries (K‐dV) equations, have been derived by employing the reductive perturbation technique that is valid for a small but finite amplitude limit. The effects of nonextensivity of ions with two distinct temperatures and dust concentration on the amplitude and width of DA solitary waves are investigated theoretically. It is observed that both the nonextensive and low‐temperatures ions significantly modify the basic properties and polarities of DA solitary waves. It is shown that both positive and negative potential DA solitons occur in this case. The implications of these results to some astrophysical environments and space plasmas (e.g., stellar polytropes, peculiar velocity distributions of galaxies, and collisionless thermal plasma), and laboratory dusty plasma systems are briefly mentioned.     

Dust‐ion‐acoustic solitary waves in a magnetized dusty pair‐ion plasma with Cairns‐Gurevich electrons and opposite polarity dust particles

The nonlinear dust‐ion‐acoustic (DIA) solitary structures have been studied in a dusty plasma, including the Cairns‐Gurevich distribution for electrons, both negative and positive ions, and immobile opposite polarity dust grains. The external magnetic field directed along the z‐axis is considered. By using the standard reductive perturbation technique and the hydrodynamics model for the ion fluid, the modified Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation was derived for small but finite amplitude waves and was provided the solitary wave solution for the parameters relevant. Using the appropriate independent variable, we could find the modified Korteweg–de Vries equation. By plotting some figures, we have discussed and emphasized how the different plasma values, such as the trapping parameter, the positive (or negative) dust number density, the non‐thermal electron parameter, and the ion cyclotron frequency, can influence the solitary wave structures. In addition, using the bifurcation theory of planar dynamical systems, we have extracted the centre and saddle points and illustrated the phase portrait of such a system for some particular plasma parameters. Finally, we have graphically investigated the behaviour of the solitary energy wave by changing the plasma values as well as by calculating the instability criterion; we have also discussed the growth rate of the solitary waves. The results could be useful for studying the physical mechanism of nonlinear propagation of DIA solitary waves in laboratory and space plasmas where non‐thermal electrons, pair‐ions, and dust particles can exist.     

Screening and attraction of dust particles in plasmas

The potential around a dust particle in a plasma is found using the collisional hydrodynamic equations of dusty plasmas, taking into account ion-dust and ion-neutral collisions and considering the plasma source proportional to the dust density. The linear screening is strongly influenced by the collisions and can substantially differ from Debye screening. Attraction of negatively charged dust particles can occur due to overscreening by the ion fluxes in the presence of friction forces.     

Micro‐Disperse Particles in Plasmas: From Disturbing Side Effects to New Applications

The research effort in the area of dusty plasmas initially aimed at avoiding particle formation and controlling the contamination level in industrial reactors. Nowadays, dusty plasmas have grown into a vast field and new applications of plasma‐processed dust particles are emerging. There is demand for particles with special properties, and for particle‐seeded composite materials. Low‐pressure plasmas offer a unique possibility of confinement, control and fine tailoring of particle properties. The role of plasma technology in treatment and surface modification of powder grains is reviewed and illustrated with examples. The interaction between plasma and injected micro‐disperse powder particles can also be used as a diagnostic tool for the study of plasma surface processes.     

Consequences of an attractive force on collective modes and dust structures in a strongly coupled dusty plasma

We present investigations of the combined effects of Debye–Hückel repulsive and overlapping Debye spheres attractive interaction potentials around charged dust particles on collective modes, phase separation and ordered structures in a strongly coupled dusty plasma. We obtain static and dynamical information via Molecular Dynamics simulations in the liquid and crystallized phases and identify the onset of an instability in the transverse mode, by using lattice summation method. The results are useful for understanding the origin of coagulation/agglomeration of charged dust particles and the formation of ordered dust structures in low-temperature laboratory and space plasmas.     

On the possibility of phase transitions in dusty plasma structures in a glow discharge under the action of a magnetic field

The melting of a dusty plasma structure formed in a stratum of a glow discharge caused by application of a magnetic field and its subsequent increase is studied. The images of two-dimensional cross sections of dusty plasma structures previously obtained by the authors are considered. To identify the phase, the correlation functions are calculated and visual comparison with the space lattices of ideal crystals is performed. It is found that, under the conditions of the previous study of the authors, as the magnetic field increases, the phase state of the dusty structure changes from an anisotropic liquidlike (liquid-ice) state to a disordered one. There is a tendency to a change in the type of the space lattice of the structure.     

Improved Self‐Energy Calculations for Pressure Broadening of Spectral Lines in Dense Plasmas

Pressure broadening of Lyman‐lines of hydrogen‐like lithium (Li²⁺) has been studied using a quantum statistical approach to the line shape in dense plasmas, for details see [1]. In this communication, we concentrate on the electronic self‐energy, which is a basic input to the theory of spectral line profiles. We discuss the effect of strong, i.e. close, collisions which have been neglected so far for Li²⁺ plasmas, but play generally an important role in dense plasmas, as has been shown in [2]. We present a method to calculate an improved electronic self‐energy including strong collisions based on a two‐body T‐matrix and an effective optical potential. The method is tested for level broadening of the ground state of hydrogen (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Modulation instability of lower hybrid waves leading to cusp solitons in electron–positron(hole)–ion Thomas Fermi plasma

Following the idea of three‐wave resonant interactions of lower hybrid waves, it is shown that quantum‐modified lower hybrid (QLH) wave in electron–positron–ion plasma with spatial dispersion can decay into another QLH wave (where electron and positrons are activated, whereas ions remain in the background) and another ultra‐low frequency quantum‐modified ultra‐low frequency Lower Hybrid (QULH) (where ions are mobile). Quantum effects like Bohm potential and Fermi pressure on the lower hybrid wave significantly reshaped the dispersion properties of these waves. Later, a set of non‐linear Zakharov equations were derived to consider the formation of QLH wave solitons, with the non‐linear contribution from the QLH waves. Furthermore, modulational instability of the lower hybrid wave solitons is investigated, and consequently, its growth rates are examined for different limiting cases. As the growth rate associated with the three‐wave resonant interaction is generally smaller than the growth associated with the modulational instability, only the latter have been investigated. Soliton solutions from the set of coupled Zakharov and NLS equations in the quasi‐stationary regime have been studied. Ordinary solitons are an attribute of non‐linearity, whereas a cusp soliton solution featured by nonlocal nonlinearity has also been studied. Such an approach to lower hybrid waves and cusp solitons study in Fermi gas comprising electron positron and ions is new and important. The general results obtained in this quantum plasma theory will have widespread applicability, particularly for processes in high‐energy plasma–laser interactions set for laboratory astrophysics and solid‐state plasmas.     

Dispersion of Dust Acoustic Modes and Perturbations of Plasma Flux Balance

Previous considerations of dust acoustic waves is demonstrated to be inconsistent ‐ the required equilibrium state for perturbations was not defined since balance of plasma fluxes was neglecting. The self‐consistent treatment shows that plasma flux perturbations are accompanying any collective waves propagating in dusty plasmas and can play an important role in wave dispersion, wave damping and can create instabilities. This is illustrated by the derivation of dispersion relation for dust acoustic modes taking into account the plasma flux balances and plasma flux perturbations by waves. The result of this approach shows that the dust acoustic waves with linear dependence of wave frequency on the wave number exist only in restricted range of the wave numbers. Only for wave numbers larger than some critical wave number for low frequency modes the frequency can be have approximately a linear dependence on wave number and can be called as dust acoustic wave but the phase velocity of these waves is different from that which can be obtained neglecting the flux balance and depends on grain charge variations which are determined by the balance of fluxes. The presence of plasma fluxes previously neglected is the main typical feature of dusty plasmas. The dispersion relation in the range of small wave numbers is found to be mainly determined by the change of the plasma fluxes and is quite different from that of dust acoustic type, namely it is found to have the same form as the well known dispersion relation for the gravitational instability. This result proves in general way the existence of the collective grain attractions of negatively charged grains for for large distances between them and for any source of ionization. The attraction of grains found from dispersion relation of the dust acoustic branch coincides with that found previously for pair grain interactions using some models for the ionization source. For the existing experiments the effective Jeans length for such attraction is estimated to be about 8 – 10 times larger than the ion Debye length and the effective gravitational constant for the grain attraction is estimated to be several orders of magnitude larger than the usual gravitational constant. The grain attraction at large inter‐grain distances described by the gravitationlike grain instability is considered as the simplest explanation for observed dust cloud clustering, formation of dust structures including the plasma crystals. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nonlinear Electrostatic Structures in Collisional Dusty Plasmas

A review of some problems of electrostatic waves in dusty plasmas is presented. It is concluded that in the most models of waves in dusty plasmas, the charge numbers of the ions and dusty grains are supposed to be constant. Besides most of the studies are elated to linear waves in collisionless systems. It is shown that even if the dynamics of dusty grains is not considered in the models, the physical processes causing wave dissipation have to be taken into account. The existing nonlinear models are mostly one‐dimensional ones. It is summarized that in dusty plasmas various types of nonlinear stationary structures may exist, and that these structures differ from the nonlinear structures found in ionospheric plasmas without dust. The nonlinear electrostatic stuctures seem to be observable in ionospheric, solar or interplanetary plasmas.     

Effect of Anisotropic Ion Pressure on Solitary Waves in Magnetized Dusty Plasmas

The propagation of linear and nonlinear dust ion acoustic waves (DIAWs) are studied in a collisionless magnetized plasma which consists of warm ions having anisotropic thermal pressure, nonthermal (energetic) electrons and static dust particles of positive and negative charge polarity. The anisotropic ion pressure is defined using double adiabatic Chew‐Golberger‐Low (CGL) theory. In the linear regime, the propagation properties of the two possible modes are investigated via ion pressure anisotropy, dust particle polarity and nonthermality of electrons. Using reductive method Zakharov‐Kuznetsov (ZK) equation is derived for the propagation of two dimensional electrostatic dust ion acoustic solitary waves in dusty plasmas. It is found that both compressive and rarefactive solitons are formed in presence of nonthermal electrons using Cairn's distribution [R.A. Cairns, A.A. Mamun, R. Bingham, R.O. Dendy, R. Bostrom, C.M.C. Nairn and P.K. Shukla, Geophys.Res. Lett. 22 , 2709 (1995)] in the system. The ion pressure anisotropy, nonthermality of electrons and charge polarity of the dust particles have significant effects on the amplitude and width of the dust ion acoustic solitary waves in such anisotropic nonthermal magnetized dusty plasmas. The numerical results are also presented for illustration. Our finding is applicable to space dusty plasma regimes having anisotropic ion pressure and nonthermal electrons. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of dust size distribution in ultracold quantum dusty plasmas

The effect of dust size distribution in ultracold quantum dusty plasmas are investigated in this paper. How the dispersion relation and the propagation velocity for the quantum dusty plasma vary with the system parameters and the different dust distribution are studied. It is found that as the Fermi temperature of the dust grains increases the frequency of the wave increases for large wave number dust acoustic wave. The quantum parameter of H_d also increases the frequency of the large wave number dust acoustic wave. It is also found that the frequency ω₀ and the propagation velocity v₀ of quantum dust acoustic waves all increase as the total number density increases. They are greater for unusual dusty plasmas than those of the usual dusty plasma.