Simulating the dynamics of complex plasmas

Abstract

Complex plasmas are low-temperature plasmas that contain micrometer-size particles in addition to the neutral gas particles and the ions and electrons that make up the plasma. The microparticles interact strongly and display a wealth of collective effects. Here we report on linked numerical simulations that reproduce many of the experimental results of complex plasmas. We model a capacitively coupled plasma with a fluid code written for the commercial package comsol. The output of this model is used to calculate forces on microparticles. The microparticles are modeled using the molecular dynamics package lammps, which we extended to include the forces from the plasma. Using this method, we are able to reproduce void formation, the separation of particles of different sizes into layers, lane formation, vortex formation, and other effects.

References in corpus (9)

• Dynamics of lane formation in driven binary complex plasmas
• Classical and quantum Coulomb crystals
• Wave mode coupling due to plasma wakes in two-dimensional plasma crystals: In-depth view
• Fluid-solid phase transitions in 3D complex plasmas under microgravity conditions
• Superdiffusion in quasi-two-dimensional Yukawa liquids
• Probability of metastable configurations in spherical three-dimensional Yukawa crystals
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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Experimental demonstration of a dusty plasma ratchet rectification and its reversal
• Collective effects in vortex movements in complex (dusty) plasmas
• Screened Coulomb potential in a flowing magnetized plasma
• Dissipative solitary wave at the interface of a binary complex plasma
• Interplay of single particle and collective response in molecular dynamics simulation of dusty plasma system
• Dynamical states in two-dimensional charged dust particle clusters in plasma medium
• Experimental investigation of dynamical structures formation due to flowing complex plasma past an obstacle
• Spiral waves in driven strongly coupled Yukawa systems
• Penetration of a supersonic particle at the interface in a binary complex plasma
• Elastic properties of three-dimensional Yukawa or dust crystals from molecular dynamics simulations
• Effects of collision enhanced charging on dust crystal