Numerical studies of ion focusing behind macroscopic obstacles in a supersonic plasma flow

Abstract

We study the potential and plasma density variations around a solid object in a plasma flow, emphasizing supersonic flows. These objects can be dust grains, for instance. Conducting as well as insulating materials are considered. In a streaming plasma, a dust grain develops an electric dipole moment, which varies systematically with the relative plasma flow. The strength and direction of this dipole moment depends critically on the material. The net charge together with the electric dipole associated with the dust grains gives rise to electric fields, which affects the trajectories of nearby charged particles. The perturbation of ion orbits in streaming plasmas can give rise to a focusing of ions in the wake region facing away from the plasma flow. We study the parameter dependence of this ion focus. Our simulations are carried out in two spatial dimensions by a particle-in-cell code, treating ions and electrons as individual particles.