Microgravity Science and Technology

, Volume 23, Issue 2, pp 159–167 | Cite as

Possible Observation of Critical Phenomena in Fine Particle (Dusty, Complex) Plasmas

Two Mechanisms and Experimental Conditions
Original Article
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Abstract

The possibility to observe critical phenomena in fine particles plasmas is discussed in terms of both characteristic dimensionless parameters of statistical mechanics and real conditions such as densities and temperatures in fine particle (dusty, complex) plasma experiments. In addition to the possibility originating from the divergence of the isothermal compressibility of strongly coupled one-component plasmas and Coulomb-like systems, it is shown that we have another possibility in the domain of intermediate coupling with feasible experimental conditions. In both cases, the Coulomb and Coulomb-like interactions between fine particles drive the system to thermodynamic instability and critical phenomena belong to the same universality class. The mechanisms, however, are completely different.

Keywords

Critical phenomena Fine particle plasma Experimental conditions 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Okayama UniversityOkayamaJapan

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