Dusty plasmas: elementary processes, examples and possible applications
Pages 144-152
Mihai Lungu, Antoanetta - Corina Lungu
Abstract
This work presents an up-to-date account in dusty plasmas, a new field of current research’s interest in applied physics and modern technology. These are complex systems containing nanometer or micrometer-sized particles suspended in plasma. Dust particles may be charged and the plasma and particles behave as plasma, following electromagnetic laws for particle up to about 10 nm or 100 nm if large charges are present. Dusty plasmas are interesting because presence of particles significantly alters the charged particle equilibrium leading to different phenomena. Electrostatic coupling between the grains can vary over a wide range so that the states of the dusty plasma can change from weakly coupled to crystalline. Such plasmas are of interest as a non-Hamiltonian system of interacting particles and as a means to study charging of dust particles in plasmas, electrostatic potential around a dust particle main forces acting on dust particles in plasmas, interaction between dust particles in plasmas, formation and growth of dust particles.