Molecular dynamics studies of strongly coupled charged particle bilayers at finite temperatures.

Abstract

The structure of strongly coupled charged particle bilayers was investigated using molecular dynamics simulation, in a wide range of the plasma coupling parameter Gamma=20-100. The simulations showed the existence of a series of structural transformations, controlled by the separation of the layers. At high values of Gamma a pronounced long-range order was found to develop at intermediate layer separations, with staggered square lattice configuration. The results show a fair agreement with those obtained by hypernetted chain calculations, in terms of intralayer and interlayer pair correlation functions and structure functions.