Molecular dynamics simulation of plasma flow around two stationary dust grains

Abstract

Plasma kinetics in the presence of ions flowing around two stationary dust grains aligned perpendicularly to the direction of the flow is studied by a three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulation code. The dynamics of plasma electrons and ions as well as the dust particle charging are simulated self-consistently. Distributions of electron and ion number densities and the electrostatic plasma potential are obtained for various intergrain distances, including those much less, of the order of, and more than the plasma electron Debye length.