Dust Self‐Organized Structures II. Solutions of Master Equations for Small Diffusion

Master equations for spherical dust structures are solved numerically using the asymptotic solutions at the center of the structures for the case of absence of external ionization and small diffusions. The structures are determined by a single parameter, the external plasma flux at the surface of the structure. The equilibrium states that are possible in a limited range of this parameter are investigated numerically. It is demonstrated that in the range of existence of equilibria the structures are changing their shapes and type of distributions inside the structures. For large external fluxes the ion and dust distributions can have peaks inside the structures while for low external fluxes the dust distribution has a single maximum at the structure center. The lower is the external flux supporting the structure the larger is its size. An increase of the external flux decreases the accumulation of dust and ions at the center. The total number of dust confined by the structure is larger for larger size structures. Estimates of dust crystallization inside structures are given. The role of diffusion is calculated by perturbations and is shown to be small in all structure regions except the structure edges. In the perturbation theory we use the exact expressions of the diffusion coefficients calculated previously numerically. The regions with dust density peaks inside the structures have been calculated with two order of magnitude larger precision that allows to resolve the structure parameter dependencies inside the peaks. It is shown that although in peaks the gradients of all parameters are increased the diffusion flux is still small and that the continuity and hydrodynamic approach are applicable within an accuracy about several %‐s (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dust Self‐Organized Structures III. Solutions of Master Equations in Presence of Volume Ionization

The shapes of dust self‐organized structures in presence of volume ionization is investigated. Master Equations for small diffusions and presence of an external ionization describing spherical dust structures are solved numerically using asymptotic solutions at the center of the structures. The structures are determined by two parameters, the external plasma flux at the surface of the structures and the power of volume ionizations. It is shown that the range of possible equilibrium states is reduced with an increase of the ionization power. This reduction is due mainly to an increase of the minimum possible value of ion density at the center of the structure for which the equilibrium is possible (an increase of minimum possible external flux). It is found that for certain large ionization power the equilibrium structure without void at the center cannot exist. The critical value of ionization power is found numerically. In the range of ionization power where the equilibria is possible the distribution of the parameters inside the structures are investigated by solving the Master Equations in the limits of small and large ionization power (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Collective Grain Interactions II. Non‐linear Collective Drag Force

It is found that the collective effects operating at large distances from the grain surface can produce substantial scattering of the ion flux and create an additional collective drag force dominant for large grain densities. The consideration is restricted to large grain charges β = Z_de ²a /T_iλ_Di ? 1 and T_i /T_e ? 1 (–eZ_d being the grain charge in units of electron charge, a being the grain size, λ_Di being the ion Debye radius and T_e,i being electron and ion temperatures, respectively). For present dusty plasma experiments β ≈ 10–50, the large charges of grains are screened non‐linearly and the ion scattering creates non‐linear drag force. The present investigation considers effects of scattering by collective grain fields at large distances from the grains. It is found that the physical reason of the importance of collective drag force, calculated in this paper, is related to presence of weakly screened collective field of grains outside the non‐linear screening distance depending on grain densities. The amplitude of this collective fields of the grains is determined by non‐linear screening at non‐linear screening radius. It is shown that for dust densities of present experiments the collective drag force related to this scattering can be of the order of the non‐linear drag force caused by scattering inside the non‐linear screening radius or even larger. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Note on Mechanism for Formation of Bulbs (Structures) in Complex Plasmas with Grains of Different Size

In this note the phenomena of formation of grain bulbs (compact grain structure) in presence of grains with different size is discussed from point of view of grain force balance. The requirement is found showing where in the equilibrium conditions the larger size grains are expelled from the regions of smaller size grains forming dust bulbs containing only the smallest size grains. The experiments where this phenomenon was observed are discussed. It is possible to conclude that these experiments can serve as direct evidence for existence of the non‐linear screening of individual grains and for excitation of collective large scale electric fields that balances the drag forces in domain of structures. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Collective Grain Interactions for Constant Ionization Source

The dust screening and dust attraction in plasmas is considered for the constant ionization source. Both limits of linear and nonlinear screening are considered. It is shown that the non‐linear screening changes substantially the collective dust screening and collective dust attraction. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

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)     

Transport Coefficients in Dense Plasmas Including Ion‐Ion Structure Factor

Within linear response theory, a general approach to the thermoelectric transport coefficients for fully ionized hydrogen‐type plasma has been given. Different approximations for the collision integral are considered. Particular attention is given to dynamical screening and the ion‐ion structure factor. Results are presented for the electrical conductivity, the thermal conductivity, and the thermopower in the non‐degenerate limit (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of non‐extensive electrons on the sheath of dusty plasmas with variable dust charge

In this study, a detailed investigation of the problem of sheath is presented using the fluid model in a magnetized three‐component dusty plasma system comprising positive ions, dust grains with variable charge and q‐non‐extensive electrons (i.e., the electrons evolve far away from their Maxwellian thermodynamic equilibrium [q = 1]). The effects of q‐non‐extensivity parameter on the plasma sheath parameters are studied numerically. A significant change is observed in the quantities characterizing the sheath with the presence of the super‐extensive electrons (q < 1) and sub‐extensive electrons (q > 1). In addition, based on the orbital motion limited theory, by taking various forces acting on the dust particle into consideration, the dynamics of the dust located within the sheath, that is, the dust grain charging inside the sheath, is examined under different values of q. It is found that the q‐non‐extensivity has affected significantly the dynamics and the charging process of the dust grains in the sheath.     

Note on Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves by Nonlinearly Screened Dust Grains in Plasmas

Although most experiments in complex plasmas correspond to non‐linear grain screening, the theoretical models of non‐linear screening have not been checked experimentally. Scattering of electromagnetic waves on a single nonlinearly screened dust grain in plasmas can serve as one of effective methods for investigation of non‐linear screening. In present paper we have developed a theory for electromagnetic wave scattering that includes both the effect of coherency of scattering for long wave range and the loss of coherency with a decrease of the wave length. It is valid for arbitrary non‐linearity in screening and demonstrates that the loss of coherency occurs for wave length less then the characteristic screening length for non‐linear screening being usually substantially larger than the linear Debye screening length. The effect is illustrated numerically using the most popular model of non‐linear screening. The dependence of the cross‐section of scattering on parameter of non‐linearity in screening is calculated numerically. The loss of coherency in scattering by a single grain can serve as effective diagnostic for checking the theoretical models of non‐linear screening. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effect of levitated dust kinetics in the dynamic evolution of inhomogeneous plasma sheath

The main goal here is to study theoretically the formation of plasma sheath in an inhomogeneous dusty plasma. The effect of weak ionization of the dust grains as similar to the Townsend discharge has been incorporated to see how it influences the evolution of sheath. Sheath equation has been derived to describe the properties of sheath structures analytically and numerically. It has shown that the ionization along with the inhomogeneity affects significantly the growth of sheath which has been highlighted elaborately for some typical plasma parameters. After getting well defined sheath region, dynamical behaviour of levitated dust grains into the sheath has been studied. The totality of the findings has been centred around the estimation of dust surface potential, dust sizes along with the generation of net force on dust grains. Both inhomogeneous and ionization effects allow the dust grains in acquiring different potential to sustain equilibrium in different places. As a result of this, nebulons and the dust cloudlike structures are electrically charged.     

Nonlinear Waves in Nonuniform Complex Astrocloud

The global nonlinear gravito‐electrostatic eigen‐fluctuation behaviors in large‐scale non‐uniform complex astroclouds in quasi‐neutral hydrodynamic equilibrium are methodologically analyzed. Its composition includes warm lighter electrons, ions; and massive bi‐polar multi‐dust grains (inertial) with partial ionization sourced, via plasma‐contact electrification, in the cloud plasma background. The multi‐fluidic viscous drag effects are conjointly encompassed. The naturalistic equilibrium inhomogeneities, gradient forces and nonlinear convective dynamics are considered without any recourse to the Jeans swindle against the traditional perspective. An inho‐mogeneous multiscale analytical method is meticulously applied to derive a new conjugated non‐integrable coupled (via zeroth‐order factors) pair of variable‐coefficient inhomogeneous Korteweg de‐Vries Burger (i ‐KdVB) equations containing unique form of non‐uniform linear self‐consistent gradient‐driven sinks. A numerical illustrative scheme is procedurally constructed to examine the canonical fluctuations. It is seen that the eigenspectrum coevolves as electrostatic rarefactive damped oscillatory shock‐like structures and self‐gravitational compressive damped oscillatory shock‐like patterns . The irregular damping nature is attributable to the i ‐KdVB sinks. The aperiodicity in the hybrid rapid small downstream wavetrains is speculated to be deep‐rooted in the quasi‐linear gravito‐electrostatic interplay. The phase‐evolutionary dynamics grow as atypical non‐chaotic fixed‐point attractors . We, finally, indicate tentative astronomical applications relevant in large‐scale cosmic structure formation aboard facts and faults. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Theory of dust voids in plasmas

Dusty plasmas in a gas discharge often feature a stable void, i.e., a dust-free region inside the dust cloud. This occurs under conditions relevant to both plasma processing discharges and plasma crystal experiments. The void results from a balance of the electrostatic and ion drag forces on a dust particle. The ion drag force is driven by a flow of ions outward from an ionization source and toward the surrounding dust cloud, which has a negative space charge. In equilibrium the force balance for dust particles requires that the boundary with the dust cloud be sharp, provided that the particles are cold and monodispersive. Numerical solutions of the one-dimensional nonlinear fluid equations are carried out including dust charging and dust-neutral collisions, but not ion-neutral collisions. The regions of parameter space that allow stable void equilibria are identified. There is a minimum ionization rate that can sustain a void. Spatial profiles of plasma parameters in the void are reported. In the absence of ion-neutral collisions, the ion flow enters the dust cloud's edge at Mach number M=1. Phase diagrams for expanding or contracting voids reveal a stationary point corresponding to a single stable equilibrium void size, provided the ionization rate is constant. Large voids contract and small voids expand until they attain this stationary void size. On the other hand, if the ionization rate is not constant, the void size can oscillate. Results are compared to recent laboratory and microgravity experiments.     

Theoretical model for the effect of dust grains on self‐filamentation of a gaussian electromagnetic beam in a fully ionized plasma

A theoretical model for the effect of dust grains on the self‐filamentation of a Gaussian electromagnetic beam propagating in a fully ionized plasma has been developed by employing the energy balance of the plasma constituents, perturbed electron and ion concentrations, and temperature. In this model, neutral atom ionization, re‐integration and accumulation of electrons and ions, photoelectric emission of electrons from the surface of dust grains, as well as elastic and charging collisions have also been considered. The effective dielectric constant in the presence of dust grains has been constructed. The effect of temporal growth of dust grains on various plasma parameters for different values of the dust density has been explored. The variation of the beam width with the normalized channel of propagation has been observed for distinct dust densities and dust charge states. It is observed that the non‐linearity induced by the effective dielectric constant in the presence of dust grains increases the self‐filamentation of the beam, thus enhancing the effective critical power with the dust density. Some of the outcomes of our approach are in line with experimental observations. These outcomes may be useful for explaining space and laboratory plasma experiments as well as for future studies in complex plasmas.     

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.     

UV-induced Coulomb crystallization of dust grains in high-pressuregas

A scheme for forming a Coulomb lattice of positively charged dust grains in a high-pressure (P>torr) gas is discussed theoretically. The grains are charged positively by photoemission in the presence of a flux of ultraviolet (UV) photons with energy larger than the work function of the grains, but lower than the ionization potential of the background gas. Methods for levitating and containing the dust using photophoretic forces (both UV and non-UV), gas drag, and electrostatic forces are considered     

Dust in Plasma II. Effects of Secondary Electrons: Ionization and Surface Emission

In this second paper, the effect of secondary electrons on the charge and potential of a dust particle immersed in plasma has been studied. The processes of electron‐induced ionization and those of photo‐electron and secondary electron emission from the particle surface as a function of primary electron temperature have been taken into account. Starting from temperatures as low as 6 eV in an Ar plasma, ionization produces an extra ion flux to the dust surface comparable to that of the ion charge exchange effect. For what concerns the surface emission, results show that a transition from negative to positive dust charge/potential takes place, and that the transition regime is characterized by a non‐monotonic behavior of the electric potential around the particle. In the case of photoelectric emission, the dust charge and potential are monotonic decreasing functions of the electron temperature, while in the case of emission induced by primary electrons a minimum charge/potential is reached before they grow towards positive values. In no case multiple dust charge states have been observed due to the presence of the potential well attached to the particle surface. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Ion drag as a mechanism of plasma dust structure rotation in a strata in a magnetic field

In experiments on complex plasmas, afixed strata region in which the levitation of dust structures is observed is investigated using the method of probing by calibrated dust particles of different sizes in an applied magnetic field under elevated pressures. The measured azimuthal velocity of the probing particles corresponds to the action of the ion drag force for 4 μm-size particles and to the entrainment by the rotating gas owing to the electron vortex flow inside the strata for 1 μm-size particles. Extrapolation to pressures and magnetic fields in which the rotation inversion of dust structures is observed in experiments shows that the ion drag is the dominating force causing rotation with a negative projection of the angular velocity onto the magnetic induction.     

Radial Distributions of Dusty Plasma Parameters in a DC Glow Discharge

A non‐stationary non‐local kinetic model for radial distributions of dusty plasma parameters based on the solution of Boltzmann equation for electron energy distribution function is presented. Electrons and ions production in ionizing collisions and their recombination on dust particle surface were taken into account. The drift‐diffusion approximation for ions was used. To obtain the self‐consistent radial distribution of electric potential the Poisson equation was used. It is shown that at high dust particle density the recombination of electrons and ions can exceed their production in ionization collisions in the region of dusty cloud. In this case the non‐monotonous radial distribution of the electric field is formed, the radial electric field becomes reversed and the radial electron and ion fluxes change their direction toward the center of the tube (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)