Premium
Surface Tension of Plasma Sheath
Author(s) -
Ignatov A. M.,
Schram P. P. J. M.,
Trigger S. A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
contributions to plasma physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1521-3986
pISSN - 0863-1042
DOI - 10.1002/ctpp.200510020
Subject(s) - plasma , surface tension , debye sheath , materials science , electrode , tension (geology) , anisotropy , layer (electronics) , atomic physics , mechanics , boundary layer , physics , composite material , optics , thermodynamics , compression (physics) , quantum mechanics
A simple model is developed for the self‐consistent charging of a dust layer in an electrode plasma sheath, as well as for the force balance in this layer. The anisotropy of the plasma pressure near the plasma boundary makes it possible to introduce the notion of surface tension. The equilibrium charge, the height at which the dust layer levitates above the electrode, and the plasma surface tension are calculated numerically as functions of the dust density. In all of the cases under analysis, the presence of dust is shown to increase the plasma surface tension, which indicates that the plasma sheath may become structurally unstable. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)