Wakes in complex plasmas: A self-consistent kinetic theory.

Abstract

In ground-based experiments with complex (dusty) plasmas, charged microparticles are levitated against gravity by an electric field, which also drives ion flow in the parent gas. Existing analytical approaches to describe the electrostatic interaction between microparticles in such conditions generally ignore the field and ion-neutral collisions, assuming free ion flow with a certain approximation for the ion velocity distribution function (usually a shifted Maxwellian). We provide a comprehensive analysis of our previously proposed self-consistent kinetic theory including the field, ion-neutral collisions, and the corresponding ion velocity distribution. We focus on various limiting cases and demonstrate how the interplay of these factors results in different forms of the shielding potential.