Boundary of the Transition to Hollow Dust Structures in a DC Discharge in Neon with Microparticles

Abstract

The boundary (line) of the transition from homogenous dust structures to hollow dust structures in the coordinates gas pressure–discharge current in a glow discharge in neon was found experimentally. The experiments were carried out with spherical particles 2.55 and 4.14 μm in diameter. The transition was simulated using the diffusion–drift model of the positive column of a glow discharge in neon with allowance for the radial temperature gradient. Simulations of the experimental data have shown that the thermophoretic force acting on the microparticles in the dust structure depends on the discharge parameters and the dimensions of the microparticles and the dust structure. The results of this work can be used in dusty plasma technologies.