Nonlinear Dynamics of a Linear Dust Particle Chain

Abstract

The nonlinear stage of development of the dust particle chain instabilities is studied. It is assumed that dust particles interact with the plasma consisting of Maxwellian electrons and a directed flow of cold ions. The truncated equations are derived describing the nonlinear dynamics of the standing wave in the range of parameters close to the threshold for the development of the instability of coupled waves. It is shown that, in a narrow range of the ion flow Mach numbers, the instability of coupled waves becomes saturated in the weakly nonlinear stage of its development. In the remaining cases, the instability development becomes explosive. The nonlinear dynamics is also considered of the aperiodic period-doubling instability, which always becomes saturated in the weakly nonlinear stage of its development.