Fluid modeling of void closure in microgravity noble gas complex plasmas

Abstract

A self-consistent dusty plasma fluid model has been extended to incorporate all the noble gases as the carrier gas. An analysis of void closure in complex plasma composed of these gases over a wide range of experimental parameters is presented. Driving potential-pressure maps are constructed, which show the range in parameter space where isotropic void-free dust crystals can be expected, where a void is to be expected and where the discharge is expected to extinguish.