Bistable intrinsic charge fluctuations of a dust grain subject to secondary electron emission in a plasma

B. Shotorban
Phys. Rev. E 92, 043101 – Published 1 October 2015

Abstract

A master equation was formulated to study intrinsic charge fluctuations of a grain in a plasma as ions and primary electrons are attached to the grain through collisional collection, and secondary electrons are emitted from the grain. Two different plasmas with Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian distributions were considered. The fluctuations could be bistable in either plasma when the secondary electron emission is present, as two stable macrostates, associated with two stable roots of the charge net current, may exist. Metastablity of fluctuations, manifested by the passage of the grain charge between two macrostates, was shown to be possible.

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  • Received 29 June 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.92.043101

©2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

B. Shotorban*

  • Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, USA

  • *babak.shotorban@uah.edu

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Issue

Vol. 92, Iss. 4 — October 2015

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