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Coulomb solids and low-frequency fluctuations in RF dusty plasmas

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1995 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 28 1009

(http://iopscience.iop.org/0022-3727/28/5/024)

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J. Phys. D.Appl. Phys. 28 (1995) 1009-1010. Printed in the UK

COMMENT

Coulomb solids and low-frequency

fluctuations in RF dusty plasmas
N DAngelo
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City,
IA 52242-1479, USA

Abstract. It -
is pointed out that the 12 Hz fluctuations measured in a dusty
plasma in the paper by Chu er a/ are very likely the first laboratory observation of
the type of wave known as dust-acoustic.

In a recent paper on Coulomb solids in dusty plasmas Equations (1) and (2) are the continuity and momentum
Chu et a1 (1994) reported the observation of large- equations for the dust, while equations (3) and (4)

frequency of -
amplitude, low-frequency fluctuations with a typical
12 Hz and a wavelength of 0.5 cm.
These fluctuations are seen only when dust particles
- express the condition of Boltzmann equilibrium for
are present in the plasma. Their low frequency is
apparently due to the slow response of massive dust
grains to electric fields. Furthermore, the fluctuations
of the plasma electron density, seen as fluctuations in
the plasma emissions, are out of phase with those of the
dust g a i n density.
Although it is not so stated by Chu et al (1994), their
observation of these low-frequency fluctuations is very
likely the first reported detection in the laboratory of the
type of wave known as dust-acoustic(see, e.g., Rao et
a1 1990, DAngelo 1990, Melandsja et a1 1993). In the
following I give arguments in support of this proposal.
The dispersion relation for dust-acoustic waves is
easily obtained from the following set of equations which
describe the behaviour of the dust particles, the plasma
electrons and the plasma ions:
electrons and ions, a very good assumption when dealing
with waves of extremely low frequency. Equation (5)
expresses the condition of charge neutrality.
Following standard procedure, equations (1)-(5) are
linearized around a zero-order state in which a / a x = 0,
a/at = 0, UdO = 0, and n+o = nd + Zndo. With
E = ndO/nfO we also find nd = (1 - Z)n+o. No
perturbation in Z is considered, i.e. 21 = 0, thereby
excluding the damping process studied by Melandsja et
a1 (1993). The first-order quantities are taken to vary as
ei(kr-olr ), where k is the wavenumber and w the angular
frequency. The following dispersion relation is readily
obtained:
In addition, in the process of arriving at equation (6), the
following two relations are also obtained

KTenel = eneo(ol (7)

which together show that the electron density fluctuation

K T an,
~- -en,- a p = 0 (3)
ne] is out of phase with the dust density fluctuation ndl.
ax ax Using the dispersion relation, equation (6), the wave
phase velocity can be estimated if one knows the plasma
an+
KT+-+en+- a(o
=O (4) and dust parameters in the experiment of Chu et al
an ax
n+ = ne + Znd (5) of -
(1994). We take dust grains with size a % 1 pm,density
1 g and, thus, md M 4 x lo-* g. The
where nd, n,, and n+ are the densities of the three
species, Td, T,, and T+ are their temperatures, and K is chosen aS Td 300 K, T+ 3000 K and T, 30 000 K.
N N -
temperatures of the three dusty plasma components are

The charge on each dust grain is estimated as (see, e.g.,

Boltzmanns constant. The quantity eZ is the magnitude
of the negative charge on the dust grains (assumed here Xu et al 1993)
to be spheres all of the same size), I &is the fluid velocity K re
of the dust gains and (o the electrostatic potential. e 2 % ( ~ T o Q ) ~ -M 1.3 x lo- Coulomb
e

00223727/95/051009t02$19.50 0 1995 IOP Publishing Ltd 1009

Comment
giving a Z - 8100. The average intergrain distance Finally, a remark may be added as to why an

ndo -
d = 1f n z is of the order of 300 pm, from which
3.7 x IO4 ~ m - ~ The. plasma density, in the
experimental set-up of the type used by Chu et al
(1 994) allows the observation of such low-frequency

S x lo9~ m - ~ . E = ndo/n+o zx 7 . 4 ~
Thus,
-
region of the device where the low-frequency oscillations
are observed, is given by Chu et al (1994) as n
With this
dust-acoustic waves, while a different type of device as,
e.g., the one used by Xu er a2 (1993), may not. In
the former, the dust grains are 'trapped' and confined

-
set of parameters, equation (6) provides a phase velocity
of the dust-acoustic wave of 7 cm s-', which is to be
comparedwiththevM = f x X = 12HzxO.Scm=6cm
-
for very long times compared with the wave periods of
0.1 s, while in the latter the 'residence' time of a
cbarged dust grain falling through the plasma column is
s-' observed in the experiment. It is possible that of the order of only a few times lo-* s.
the charge Z on the dust grains has been somewhat

(1994). the ratio d/ho -

overestimated, since in the experiment of Chu et a1
1, where AD is the Debye
length. The effect of 'closely packed grains' reported by
This work was supported by ONR.

-
Xu et al (1993) would then lower somewhat the phase
velocity below the 7 cm s-' estimated above.
The above set of plasma and dust parameters, which
References

Chu J H, Du J B and Lin I 1994.J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 27 296

appears reasonable in view of the information gi<en in
Chu et al (1994). provides a phase velocity of the dust-
acoustic wave in agreement with the measured phase
velocity. Also, the out-of-phase relationship between
electron and dust grain fluctuations measured in the
experiment i s accounted for by equations (7) and (8).
D'Angelo N 1990 Planet. Space Sci. 38 1143
Melandsg F, Aslaksen T K and Havnes 0 1993 L Geophys.
Res. 98 13315
Rao N N, Shukla P K and Yu M Y 1990 Plnnet. Space Sci. 38
543
Xu W,DAngelo N and Merlin0 R L 1993 J. Geophys. Res. 98
7843

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