20 research outputs found
Surface electrons at plasma walls
In this chapter we introduce a microscopic modelling of the surplus electrons
on the plasma wall which complements the classical description of the plasma
sheath. First we introduce a model for the electron surface layer to study the
quasistationary electron distribution and the potential at an unbiased plasma
wall. Then we calculate sticking coefficients and desorption times for electron
trapping in the image states. Finally we study how surplus electrons affect
light scattering and how charge signatures offer the possibility of a novel
charge measurement for dust grains.Comment: To appear in Complex Plasmas: Scientific Challenges and Technological
Opportunities, Editors: M. Bonitz, K. Becker, J. Lopez and H. Thomse
Explaining why simple liquids are quasi-universal
It has been known for a long time that many simple liquids have surprisingly
similar structure as quantified, e.g., by the radial distribution function. A
much more recent realization is that the dynamics are also very similar for a
number of systems with quite different pair potentials. Systems with such
non-trivial similarities are generally referred to as "quasi-universal". From
the fact that the exponentially repulsive pair potential has strong virial
potential-energy correlations in the low-temperature part of its thermodynamic
phase diagram, we here show that a liquid is quasi-universal if its pair
potential can be written approximately as a sum of exponential terms with
numerically large prefactors. Based on evidence from the literature we moreover
conjecture the converse, i.e., that quasi-universality only applies for systems
with this property
Atmospheric electrification in dusty, reactive gases in the solar system and beyond
Detailed observations of the solar system planets reveal a wide variety of local atmospheric conditions. Astronomical observations have revealed a variety of extrasolar planets none of which resembles any of the solar system planets in full. Instead, the most massive amongst the extrasolar planets, the gas giants, appear very similar to the class of (young) Brown Dwarfs which are amongst the oldest objects in the universe. Despite of this diversity, solar system planets, extrasolar planets and Brown Dwarfs have broadly similar global temperatures between 300K and 2500K. In consequence, clouds of different chemical species form in their atmospheres. While the details of these clouds differ, the fundamental physical processes are the same. Further to this, all these objects were observed to produce radio and X-ray emission. While both kinds of radiation are well studied on Earth and to a lesser extent on the solar system planets, the occurrence of emission that potentially originate from accelerated electrons on Brown Dwarfs, extrasolar planets and protoplanetary disks is not well understood yet. This paper offers an interdisciplinary view on electrification processes and their feedback on their hosting environment in meteorology, volcanology, planetology and research on extrasolar planets and planet formation