Parabolic plasma sheath potentials and their implications for the charge on levitated dust particles
Analysis of several numerical plasma sheath models, as well as data from several previously reported experiments, is shown to indicate that the sheath potential function may often be very closely approximated with a parabola. We also demonstrate that once this potential function is suitably determined the charge on isolated dust particles levitated in the plasma sheath may be calculated directly from their equilibrium heights.
Tomme
EB
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, United Kingdom.
Law
DA
Annaratone
BM
Allen
JE