A self-consistent nonlocal model of the positive column of a dc glow discharge with dust particles is presented. Radial distributions of plasma parameters and the dust component in an axially homogeneous glow discharge are considered. The model is based on the solution of a nonlocal Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function, drift-diffusion equations for ions, and the Poisson equation for a self-consistent electric field. The radial distribution of dust particle density in a dust cloud was fixed as a given steplike function or was chosen according to an equilibrium Boltzmann distribution. The balance of electron and ion production in argon ionization by an electron impact and their losses on the dust particle surface and on the discharge tube walls is taken into account. The interrelation of discharge plasma and the dust cloud is studied in a self-consistent way, and the radial distributions of the discharge plasma and dust particle parameters are obtained. It is shown that the influence of the dust cloud on the discharge plasma has a nonlocal behavior, e.g., density and charge distributions in the dust cloud substantially depend on the plasma parameters outside the dust cloud. As a result of a self-consistent evolution of plasma parameters to equilibrium steady-state conditions, ionization and recombination rates become equal to each other, electron and ion radial fluxes become equal to zero, and the radial component of electric field is expelled from the dust cloud.

A self-consistent kinetic model of a low-pressure dc glow discharge with dust particles based on Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function is presented. The ions and electrons production in ionizing processes as well as their recombination on the dust-particle surface and on the discharge tube wall were taken into account. The influence of dust-particle concentration N(d) on gas discharge and dust particles parameters was investigated. It is shown that the increase of N(d) leads to the increase of an averaged electric field and ion density, and to the decrease of a dust-particle charge and electron density in the dusty cloud. The results were obtained in a wide region of different discharge and dusty plasma parameters: dust particles density 10(2)-10(8) cm(-3), discharge current density 10(-1)-10(1) mA/cm(2), and dust particles radius 1, 2, and 5 microm. The scaling laws for dust-particle surface potential and electric filed dependencies on dust-particle density, particle radius and discharge currents were revealed. It is shown that the absorption of electrons and ions on the dust particles surface does not lead to the electron energy distribution function depletion due to a self-consistent adjustment of dust particles and discharge parameters.

Experimental investigations of dusty plasma parameters of a dc glow discharge were performed in a vertically oriented discharge tube. Under certain conditions, dust-free regions (voids) were formed in the center of the dust particle clouds that levitated in the strong electric field of a stratified positive column. A model for radial distribution of dusty plasma parameters of a dc glow discharge in inert gases was developed. The behavior of void formation was investigated for different discharge conditions (type of gas, discharge pressure, and discharge current) and dust particle parameters (particle radii and particle total number). It was shown that it is the ion drag force radial component that leads to the formation of voids. Both experimental and calculated results show that the higher the discharge current the wider dust-free region (void). The calculations also show that more pronounced voids are formed for dust particles with larger radii and under lower gas pressures.

The influence of a highly pronounced non-equilibrium characteristic of the electron energy distribution function in a stratified dc glow discharge on the process of dust particle charging in a complex plasma is taken into account for the first time. The calculated particle charge spatial distribution is essentially non-homogeneous and it can explain the vortex motion of particles at the periphery of a dusty cloud obtained in experiments.

A self-consistent model of plasma polarization around an isolated micron-sized dust particle under the action of an external electric field is presented. It is shown that the quasineutral condition is fulfilled and the formed volume charge totally screens the dust particle. The ion focusing and wake formation behind the dust particle are demonstrated for different ion mean free paths and the external electric fields. It is obtained that at low values of the external electric field the trapped ions play the main role in the screening of the dust particle charge. For high external electric fields, the density of trapped ions decreases and the dust particle is screened mainly by the free ions.

Experimental investigations of dusty plasma parameters of a DC glow discharge were performed in helium and argon. In the discharge in helium, at high discharge current dust‐free regions (voids) were formed in the center of the dust particles clouds that levitated in the strong electric field of a stratified positive column. In experiments with argon, the dust particles were moved from the center of the discharge tube to the periphery at high discharge current. The behavior of voids formation was investigated for different discharge conditions (sort of gas, discharge pressure and discharge current) and dust particles parameters (particles radii and particles total number). It was shown that it is the ion drag force radial component that leads to the formation of voids in helium and moves the particles to the tube periphery in argon discharge. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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In this paper, a self‐consistent numerical model that describes the behavior of plasma around an isolated, highly charged dust particle is presented. Using the developed model, self‐consistent distributions of the space charge density and plasma potential in the presence of an external electric field are obtained. These distributions are thoroughly analysed though Legendre decomposition. For different dust plasma parameters, such as the radius of the dust particle, the amplitude of the external field, and the mean free path of ions, the dipole moment of the ion cloud surrounding the dust particle is calculated. It turns out that the dependencies of the dipole moment on the value of the external electric field obtained for different parameters are reduced to a single curve by simple scaling.