Collective modes of two-dimensional classical Coulomb fluids

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate in detail collective modes spectra of two-dimensional Coulomb fluids in a wide range of coupling. The obtained dispersion relations are compared with theoretical approaches based on quasi-crystalline approximation (QCA), also known as the quasi-localized charge approximation (QLCA) in the plasma-related context. An overall satisfactory agreement between theory and simulations is documented for the longitudinal mode at moderate coupling and in the long-wavelength domain at strong coupling. For the transverse mode, satisfactory agreement in the long-wavelength domain is only reached at very strong coupling, when the cutoff wave-number below which shear waves cannot propagate becomes small. The dependence of the cutoff wave-number for shear waves on the coupling parameter is obtained.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Three dimensional complex plasma structures in a combined radio frequency and direct current discharge

We report on the first detailed analysis of large three dimensional (3D) complex plasma structures in experiments performed in pure rf and combined rf+dc discharge modes. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is generated by an rf coil wrapped around the vertically positioned cylindrical glass tube at a pressure of 0.3 mbar. In addition, dc plasma can be generated by applying voltage to the electrodes at the ends of the tube far from the rf coil. The injected monodisperse particles are levitated in the plasma below the coil. A scanning laser sheet and a high resolution camera are used to determine the 3D positions of about $10^5$ particles. The observed bowl-shaped particle clouds reveal coexistence of various structures, including well-distinguished solid-like, less ordered liquid-like, and pronounced string-like phases. New criteria to identify string-like structures are proposed.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Negative ions in liquid helium

The structure of negative ions in liquid4He is analyzed. The possibility of cluster or bubble formation around impurity ions of both signs is discussed. It is shown that in superfluidhelium, bubbles form around negative alkaline earth metal ions and clusters form around halogen ions. The nature of "fast" and "exotic" negative ions is also discussed. It is assumed that "fast" ions are negative ions of helium excimer molecules localized inside bubbles. "Exotic" ions are stable negative impurity ions, which are always present in small amounts in gas discharge plasmas. Bubbles or clusters with radii smaller the radius of electron bubbles develop around these ions

Structural properties of dense hard sphere packings

The structural properties of dense random packings of identical hard spheres (HS) are investigated. The bond order parameter method is used to obtain detailed information on the local structural properties of the system for different packing fractions $\phi$, in the range between $\phi=0.53$ and $\phi=0.72$. A new order parameter, based on the cumulative properties of spheres distribution over the rotational invariant $w_6$, is proposed to characterize crystallization of randomly packed HS systems. It is shown that an increase in the packing fraction of the crystallized HS system first results in the transformation of the individual crystalline clusters into the global three-dimensional crystalline structure, which, upon further densification, transforms into alternating planar layers formed by different lattice types.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Effect of ionization/recombination processes on the electrical interactions between positively charged particles in highly collisional plasmas

The effect of ionization and recombination processes on the electrical interactions between a pair of small charged particles in highly collisional plasmas is discussed. In particular, it is shown that these processes suppress the long-range attraction between positively charged particles. The condition corresponding to the vanishing of attraction is derived. The role of the effect for conditions of existing experiments is estimated

Electron Clusters in Inert Gases

The paper addresses counterintuitive behavior of electrons injected into dense cryogenic media with negative scattering length $a_0$. Instead of expected polaronic effect (formation of density enhancement clusters) which should substantially reduce the electron mobility, an opposite picture is observed: with increasing $|a_0|$ (the trend taking place for inert gases with the growth of atomic number) and the medium density, the electrons remain practically free. An explanation of this behaviour is provided based on consistent accounting for the non-linearity of electron interaction with the gaseous medium in the gas atom number density

Freezing and melting of 3D complex plasma structures under microgravity conditions driven by neutral gas pressure manipulation

Freezing and melting of large three-dimensional complex plasmas under microgravity conditions is investigated. The neutral gas pressure is used as a control parameter to trigger the phase changes: Complex plasma freezes (melts) by decreasing (increasing) the pressure. Evolution of complex plasma structural properties upon pressure variation is studied. Theoretical estimates allow us to identify main factors responsible for the observed behavior.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press); 4 pages, 4 figure

Particle flows in a dc discharge in laboratory and microgravity conditions

We describe a series of experiments on dust particles flows in a positive column of a horizontal dc discharge operating in laboratory and microgravity conditions. The main observation is that the particle flow velocities in laboratory experiments are systematically higher than in microgravity experiments, for otherwise identical discharge conditions. The paper provides an explanation for this interesting and unexpected observation. The explanation is based on a physical model, which properly takes into account main plasma-particle interaction mechanisms relevant to the described experimental study. Comparison of experimentally measured particle velocities and those calculated using the proposed model demonstrates reasonable agreement, both in laboratory and microgravity conditions, in the entire range of discharge parameters investigated.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure