Quantum dust-acoustic double layers

The quantum dust-acoustic double layers (QDADLs) are studied in an unmagnetized, collisionless quantum dusty plasma whose constituents are the electrons, ions, and negatively/positively charged dust particles. By employing the quantum hydrodynamical equations and the reductive perturbation technique, a quantum extended Korteweg-de Vries equation is derived. A steady-state double-layer solution of the latter is presented by taking into account the quantum-mechanical effects. It is numerically found that both compressive and rarefactive QDADLs can exist only for positive charged dust particles under the condition n(i0)/n(e0)< 1, where n(i0)(n(e0)) is the unperturbed number density of the ions (electrons). It is further noted that the formation of the compressive and the rarefactive double layers depends on the quantum plasma parameters. The relevance of the present investigation to the dust charge impurities in laser-solid interactions is discussed. In general, this study should be useful for the diagnostics of charged dust impurities in ultrasmall microelectronic and nanoelectronic components, as well as in astrophysical objects where charged dust particles are inherently present. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.