Influence of plasma diffusion losses on dust charge relaxation in discharge 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 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: Dust particles; afterglow; complex plasma

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

Lénaïc Couëdel, Alexander A. Samarian, Maxime Mikikian, Laifa Boufendi. Influence of plasma diffusion losses on dust charge relaxation in discharge afterglow. Fifth International Conference on the Physics of Dusty Plasmas, May 2008, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. pp.183, ⟨10.1063/1.2996828⟩. ⟨hal-00327719⟩