Large amplitude ion-acoustic double layers in a plasma having variable-charge dust grain particles

Abstract

The dust grain charging effect on large amplitude ion-acoustic double layers in a dusty plasma are investigated by the numerical calculation. The nonlinear structures of ion-acoustic double layers are examined, showing that the characteristics of the double layer sensitively depend on the dust charging effect, the influence of the ion temperature, the electrostatic potential, and the Mach number. The flow of the plasma current to the surface of dust particles increases the dust charge numbers. The effect of the ion temperature decreases the propagation speed of the ion-acoustic double layers and decreases the dust charge numbers. It is found that rarefactive double layers can propagate in this system. New findings of large amplitude ion-acoustic double layers with the dust charging effect and finite ion temperature in a dusty plasma are predicted.