Long-range attraction between particles in dusty plasma and partial surface tension of a dusty phase boundary

A. G. Bashkirov
2004 Physical Review E  
Effective potential of a charged dusty particle moving in homogeneous plasma has a negative part that provides attraction between similarly charged dusty particles. A depth of this potential well is great enough to ensure both stability of crystal structure of dusty plasma and sizable value of surface tension of a boundary surface of dusty region. The latter depends on the orientation of the surface relative to the counter-ion flow, namely, it is maximal and positive for the surface normal to
more » ... e flow and minimal and negative for the surface along the flow. For the most cases of dusty plasma in a gas discharge, a value of the first of them is more than sufficient to ensure stability of lenticular dusty phase void oriented across the counter-ion flow.
doi:10.1103/physreve.69.046410 pmid:15169109 fatcat:arrr6q62crdvznjyhnpvtq7jf4