An investigation of electrostatic properties of dust grains in a complex plasma.

Yousefi, Raziyeh.

An investigation of electrostatic properties of dust grains in a complex plasma.

dc.contributor.advisor	Matthews, Lorin Swint.
dc.creator	Yousefi, Raziyeh.
dc.date.accessioned	2016-01-14T17:49:53Z
dc.date.available	2016-01-14T17:49:53Z
dc.date.created	2015-12
dc.date.issued	2015-11-17
dc.date.submitted	December 2015
dc.date.updated	2016-01-14T17:49:53Z
dc.description.abstract	Explanation of the electrostatic behavior of dust grains in complex plasmas requires a knowledge of their basic properties such as electrostatic charge and dipole moment. While the measurement of the charge on symmetric dust grains in laboratory experiments has been performed, dust grains in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas are not necessarily spherically symmetric: the grains are typically elongated or aggregates consisting of many small subunits. Many of the previous works on grain charge assume a uniform plasma condition, though in the sheath of the rf discharge, there is an ion ow toward the boundary of the plasma. In this study, we present models for these complex plasma environments, where dust aggregates and dust structures formed in a laboratory plasma. Their basic properties are investigated experimentally and by employing computer models examining 3D structures of aggregates under di erent plasma conditions. The results support the previous experimental and numerical predictions for aggregates in these environments.
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/2104/9576
dc.language.iso	en
dc.rights.accessrights	Worldwide access.
dc.subject	Dusty plasma. Aggregate. Ion flow. Electric charge. Electric dipole moment.
dc.title	An investigation of electrostatic properties of dust grains in a complex plasma.
dc.type	Thesis
dc.type.material	text
thesis.degree.department	Baylor University. Dept. of Physics.
thesis.degree.grantor	Baylor University
thesis.degree.level	Doctoral
thesis.degree.name	Ph.D.