Effect of ion beam current on dust charge fluctuations and ion-acoustic waves in electronegative dusty plasmas

The effects of ion beam current associated with the streaming positive ions on the dust charge fluctuations and ion acoustic wave propagation in quiescent electronegative dusty plasma have been investigated using fluid theory. The dust charging phenomenon and unstable mode of ion waves are modified for two streaming conditions of positive ions which are extended and graphically illustrated. The dependencies of the growing and damping rate of ion waves on dust density and the size of dust grains are studied. The evolution of dust surface potential is found in the negative domain with the increase in concentration of negative ions and the instability rate for ion wave decreases. Furthermore, it is shown that the dust surface potential shifts into positive domain as the electrons are significantly depleted (and the plasma becomes ion-ion plasma) from the electronegative plasma and thus ion waves exhibit a damping phenomenon.

In-situ measurement of dust charge density in nanodusty plasma

A dust grain immersed in a low-pressure gas discharge obtains a permanent negative surface charge due to the high mobility of electrons compared to that of ions. This charge essentially governs all fundamental processes in dusty and complex plasmas involving dust grains, neutrals, (an)ions and electrons and—consequently—virtually all industrial applications of these types of plasmas are affected and steered by it. In this work, we have measured the surface charge by application of laser-induced electron detachment from nanosized dust grains in concert with microwave cavity resonance spectroscopy and laser light extinction. The main result is that the electron release is governed by photodetachment rather than by thermionic emission, and that recharging of the dust grains occurs on timescales that are well in agreement with the orbital-motion-limited (OML) theory. The total surface charge density residing on the dust grains inside the laser volume follows from the saturation of the photodetachment signal, which was used in combination with dust density values derived from extinction measurements to estimate the mean dust charge. The negative dust charge on the 140 nm (average) diameter dust grains in this work is obtained to be in the range of 273 − 2519 elementary charges, of which the lower bound matches well with analytical predictions using the orbital-motion-limited (OML) theory.

A kinetic theory of the pulsational mode of gravitational collapse in star-forming molecular clouds

A kinetic theory formulation of the pulsational mode of gravitational collapse (PMGC) in a complex unmagnetized self-gravitating partially ionized dense molecular cloud (DMC) is proposed. Applying a linear normal mode analysis, a quintic linear dispersion relation with a unique set of multi-parametric plasma-dependent coefficients is obtained. The reliability of the calculation scheme is validated in light of the various predictions available in the literature. It is then numerically analyzed in the parametric windows of judicious realistic input values. Our results indicate that the dust mass, equilibrium electron density, and equilibrium ion density act as destabilizing agencies to the PMGC evolution. In contrast, the dust charge number, equilibrium dust density, and dust temperature act as stabilizing agencies. The oscillatory and propagatory features of the PMGC are illustratively explained and comparatively validated in accordance with the observed astrophysical scenarios. This paper ends up with a brief highlight of the non-trivial implications and applications of the results actualizable in the self-gravitational collapse mechanism leading to varied structure formation processes in the mysterious astrocosmic universe.

Controlled photo-discharge of dust in a complex plasma

One of the limitations in studying dusty plasmas is that many of the important properties of the dust (like the charge) are directly coupled to the surrounding plasma conditions rather than being determined independently. The application of high-intensity ultraviolet (UV) sources to generate discharging photoelectric currents may provide an avenue for developing methods of controlling dust charge. Careful selection of the parameters of the UV source and dust material may even allow for this to be accomplished with minimal perturbation of the background plasma. The Auburn Magnetized Plasma Research Laboratory (MPRL) has developed a ‘proof-of-concept’ experiment for this controlled photo-discharging of dust; a high-intensity, near-UV source was used to produce large changes in the equilibrium positions of lanthanum hexaboride ( $\textrm {LaB}_6$ ) particles suspended in an argon DC glow discharge with negligible changes in the potential, density and temperature profiles of the background plasma. The shifts in equilibrium position of the dust are consistent with a reduction in dust charge. Video analysis is used to quantify the changes in position, velocity and acceleration of a test particle under the influence of the UV and Langmuir probes are used to measure the effects on the plasma.

Symmetries, conservation laws and dust acoustic solitons of two-temperature ion in inhomogeneous plasma

In this paper, we investigate dust acoustic solitary waves in dusty inhomogeneous plasma with a weak density gradient. For this, Lie analysis is utilized and solitary waves are obtained with the aid of the newly extended direct algebraic method. The solutions so obtained carry a variety of some new families including dark-bright, dark, dark-singular, and singular solutions of types [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The sufficient conditions for the existence of these structures are given. Meantime, the effect of parameters like dust charge, cold ion density, and number density on the soliton structures are investigated in detail, which shows that dust charge affects the amplitude but density does not put any impact on soliton’s profile. A graphical approach is practiced to discuss the physical impact of the problem. Finally, by using a multiplier approach, conserved quantities are reported.

On the possibility of dust acoustic waves over sunlit lunar surface

ABSTRACT The photoelectron sheath and floating fine positively charged dust particles constitute two-component dusty plasma in the sunlit lunar regolith’s vicinity. By including the charge fluctuation into photoelectron–dust dynamics, the lunar exospheric plasma is proposed to support the propagation of long-wavelength dust acoustic (DA) modes. Using the standard approach based on the dynamical equations for continuity, momentum, plasma potential, and dust charging along with Fowler's treatment of photoemission and non-Maxwellian nature of the sheath photoelectrons, the wave dispersion is derived. The dust charge variation modifies the usual DA wave dispersion and excites the ultralow frequency modes that propagate with sufficiently low phase speed. Such ultralow frequency modes are predicted as pronounced for smaller values of dust charge and sheath potential. The DA wave dispersion is also depicted as sensitive to the photoelectrons’ energy distribution within the sheath. The quantitative estimates suggest that the nominal exospheric plasma may exhibit DA waves propagating with frequencies of the order of unity.