S. Zhdanov

Hybrid approach to the ion drag force

A detailed calculation of the ion drag force acting on a single grain in a collisionless Maxwellian plasma with an arbitrary velocity of the ion flow is carried out. The traditional binary collision approach to the problem is combined with the linear kinetic formalism. It is shown that for a pointlike particle the binary collision approach yields correct results provided that the effective plasma screening length is chosen appropriately. The correct choice follows from the self-consistent kinetic theory. On the other hand, the binary collision approach accounts consistently for the effects of finite grain size and grain charging. Taking these effects into account an expression for the ion drag force is obtained. Calculations are performed for a typical (exemplary) set of complex plasma parameters. The relevance for recent complex plasma experiments is briefly discussed.

Direct observation of mode-coupling instability in two-dimensional plasma crystals.

Dedicated experiments on melting of two-dimensional plasma crystals were carried out. The melting was always accompanied by spontaneous growth of the particle kinetic energy, suggesting a universal plasma-driven mechanism underlying the process. By measuring three principal dust-lattice wave modes simultaneously, it is unambiguously demonstrated that the melting occurs due to the resonance coupling between two of the dust-lattice modes. The variation of the wave modes with the experimental conditions, including the emergence of the resonant (hybrid) branch, reveals exceptionally good agreement with the theory of mode-coupling instability.

Scattering in the attractive Yukawa potential: application to the ion-drag force in complex plasmas

Scattering in the attractive screened Coulomb (Yukawa) potential is investigated. The momentum-transfer cross section is numerically calculated and analytical approximations are presented. The results are applied to estimate the ion-drag force acting on an isolated micron-sized grain in low-pressure bulk plasmas.

Wave mode coupling due to plasma wakes in two-dimensional plasma crystals: In-depth view

Experiments with two-dimensional (2D) plasma crystals are usually carried out in rf plasma sheaths, where the interparticle interactions are modified due to the presence of plasma wakes. The wake-mediated interactions result in the coupling between wave modes in 2D crystals, which can trigger the mode-coupling instability and cause melting. The theory predicts a number of distinct fingerprints to be observed upon the instability onset, such as the emergence of a new hybrid mode, a critical angular dependence, a mixed polarization, and distinct thresholds. In this paper we summarize these key features and provide their detailed discussion, analyze the critical dependence on experimental parameters, and highlight the outstanding issues.

Mode-coupling instability of two-dimensional plasma crystals

The dispersion relations for three principal wave modes sustained in two-dimensional (2D) plasma crystals are derived taking into account particle-wake interactions. The rigorous analysis of the mode coupling shows that if the normalized frequency of the vertical confinement is below a certain critical value, then resonance coupling between the longitudinal in-plane mode and out-of-plane mode sets in. This results in the emergence of a hybrid mode and drives the mode-coupling instability. The universal dependence of the critical confinement frequency on plasma parameters is calculated, which allows us to specify the conditions when stable 2D plasma crystals can be formed in experiments.

Supersonic dislocations observed in a plasma crystal

Experimental results on the dislocation dynamics in a two-dimensional plasma crystal are presented. Edge dislocations were created in pairs in lattice locations where the internal shear stress exceeded a threshold and then moved apart in the glide plane at a speed higher than the sound speed of shear waves, C(T). The experimental system, a plasma crystal, allowed observation of this process at an atomistic (kinetic) level. The early stage of this process is identified as a stacking fault. At a later stage, supersonically moving dislocations generated shear-wave Mach cones.

Observation of particle pairing in a two-dimensional plasma crystal

The observation is presented of naturally occurring pairing of particles and their cooperative drift in a two-dimensional plasma crystal. A single layer of plastic microspheres was suspended in the plasma sheath of a capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharge in argon at a low pressure of 1 Pa. The particle dynamics were studied by combining the top-view and side-view imaging of the suspension. Cross-analysis of the particle trajectories allowed us to identify naturally occurring metastable pairs of particles. The lifetime of pairs was long enough for their reliable identification.

Levitation and agglomeration of magnetic grains in a complex (dusty) plasma with magnetic field

Interaction of magnetic particles with each other and with a magnetic field was studied experimentally in a complex plasma. Monodisperse plastic microspheres with magnetic filler were suspended in an rf symmetrically driven discharge to form a multilayer dust cloud. The magnetic field induced a magnetic moment in the grains. The particles were pulled upward in the direction of the magnetic field gradient and their levitation height increased. This was used as a new diagnostic method to calculate the particle charge and the thickness of the plasma sheath. It was demonstrated that the particle weight can be compensated for. Some particles formed agglomerates due to magnetic attraction between the grains. Analysis of the particle interaction forces showed that at intermediate magnetic fields (used in the experiment) the particles can agglomerate only if their kinetic energy is high enough to overcome the barrier in the interaction potential. The possibility of magnetically induced formation of a plasma crystal was discussed.

Drag force on an absorbing body in highly collisional plasmas

The force acting on a small absorbing body embedded in a highly collisional plasma with drifting ions is calculated using the linear response formalism. It is shown that the absorption introduces physical effects leading to a drastic reduction of the force. The importance of this result is discussed, mostly in the context of complex (dusty) plasma research, but it can be relevant to many other situations, ranging from astrophysics, thunderclouds, dust in fusion devices, colloidal suspensions, biological systems, etc.

Measurements of the power spectrum and dispersion relation of self-excited dust acoustic waves

The spectrum of spontaneously excited dust acoustic waves was measured. The waves were observed with high temporal resolution using a fast video camera operating at 1000 frames per second. The experimental system was a suspension of micron-size kaolin particles in the anode region of a dc discharge in argon. Wave activity was found at frequencies as high as 450 Hz. At high wave numbers, the wave dispersion relation was acoustic-like (frequency proportional to wave number). At low wave numbers, the wave frequency did not tend to zero, but reached a cutoff frequency instead. The cutoff value declined with distance from the anode. We ascribe the observed cutoff to the particle confinement in this region.