Spatial distribution of dust density wave properties in fluid complex plasmas

Complex plasmas consist of microparticles embedded in a low-temperature plasma and allow investigating various effects by tracing the motion of these microparticles. Dust density waves appear in complex plasmas as self-excited acoustic waves in the microparticle fluid at low neutral gas pressures. Here we show that various properties of these waves depend on the position of the microparticle cloud with respect to the plasma sheath and explain this finding in terms of the underlying ion-drift instability. These results may be helpful in better understanding the propagation of dust density waves in complex plasmas and beyond, for instance, in astrophysical dusty plasmas.

Automated summary

Research shows that various properties of dust density waves in complex plasmas depend on the position of the microparticle cloud with respect to the plasma sheath, and this finding can be explained in terms of the underlying ion-drift instability. These results are important for a better understanding of the propagation of dust density waves in complex plasmas and in other fields such as astrophysical dusty plasmas.