Dusty Plasma Physics

A dusty plasma (or complex plasma) is plasma containing nanometer or micrometer-sized particles suspended in it. Dust particles may accumulate into larger particles resulting in grain plasmas. They exhibit the unique property to form plasma crystals, as well as liquid and crystalline states. Dusty plasmas are observed in interplanetary space dust, comets, planetary rings, dusty surfaces in space, and aerosols in the atmosphere. Currently, dusty plasmas are being researched extensively due to the presence of particles that significantly alter the charged particle equilibrium leading to different phenomena. Electrostatic coupling between the grains can differ on a broad range so that the states of dusty plasma can convert from weakly coupled (gaseous) to crystalline. Such plasmas are of interest as non-Hamiltonian systems of interacting particles. They serve as a means to study generic fundamental physics of self-organization, pattern formation, phase transitions and scaling. Different approaches, evaluations, methodologies and advanced studies on dusty plasma have been included in this book. It will help the readers in keeping pace with the rapid changes in this field.