Influence of the ambipolar-to-free diffusion transition on dust particle charge in a complex plasma afterglow

Lénaïc Couëdel (1, 2) , Alexander A. Samarian (2) , Maxime Mikikian (1) , Laifa Boufendi (1)

1 GREMI - Groupe de recherches sur l'énergétique des milieux ionisés
2 School of Physics

The influence of diffusive losses on residual dust charge in a complex plasma afterglow has been investigated. The residual charge distribution was measured and exhibits a mean value Qdres~(−3e − 5e) with a tail in the positive region. The experimental results have been compared with simulated charge distributions. The dust residual charges were simulated based on a model developed to describe complex plasma decay. The experimental and simulated data show that the transition from ambipolar to free diffusion in the decaying plasma plays a significant role in determining the residual dust particle charges. The presence of positively charged dust particles is explained by a broadening of the charge distribution function in the afterglow plasma.

Mots clés: Dusty plasmas; Complex plasmas; Dust particles; Afterglow; Charge; Ambipolar diffusion; Free diffusion

Domaines: Plasmas; Physique des plasmas [physics.plasm-ph]

Lénaïc Couëdel, Alexander A. Samarian, Maxime Mikikian, Laifa Boufendi. Influence of the ambipolar-to-free diffusion transition on dust particle charge in a complex plasma afterglow. Physics of Plasmas, 2008, 15, pp.063705. ⟨10.1063/1.2938387⟩. ⟨hal-00297426⟩