Influence of plasma diffusion losses on dustcharge relaxation in discharge afterglow

摘要

The influence of diffusive losses on residual dust charge in a complex plasma afterglowhas been investigated. The dust residual charges were simulated based on a model developed todescribe complex plasma decay. The experimental and simulated data show that the transition fromambipolar to free diffusion in the decaying plasma plays a significant role in determining the residualdust particle charges. The presence of positively charged dust particles is explained by a broadeningof the charge distribution function in the afterglow plasma.