Long-range correlations in dusty plasmas

Abstract

The correlations in dusty plasmas in the gaseous state is considered. It is shown that the long-ranged correlations of dust particles, contrary to usual matter, start to form in a weakly correlated state, leading finally to the formation of dust crystals and dust liquids with not strong but intermediate strength correlations. The physical mechanism leading to long-ranged correlations is the dust attraction due to shadow effects of the plasma particle fluxes. An analytic theory for the long-ranged dust density correlation function is developed and the numerical results for a broad range of dust densities and plasma temperatures are presented. The long-ranged correlations induced by dust for electron densities, ion densities, and dust charges are also investigated, and the results for electron density correlations are presented in a way that permits measurement of the long-ranged correlation function in laser and radio-wave scattering experiments.