Numerical Understanding of Thermal Properties of Dusty Plasmas

Abstract

Thermal properties of strongly coupled complex dusty plasmas (SCCDPs) are calculated by using improved method of homogeneous nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (HNEMD) simulations, expressed by Yukawa potential, in the canonical ensemble (NVT). The nonlinear effects, under the action of variable external force field strengths, are computed for three-dimensional (3D) SCCDPs. New results for thermal conductivity Λ0 with appropriate normalization (Einstein’s frequency ωE) are measured for a wide range of plasma coupling (1 ≤ Γ ≤ 300) and screening strength (1 ≤ κ ≤ 4). Our results of normalized thermal conductivity depend on both Coulomb coupling Γ and screening κ parameters and it is demonstrated that the minimum value of Λmin shifts toward higher Γ by an increase in κ, as expected and confirmed in an earlier work. The present results obtained through HNEMD technique are compared with the earlier 3D nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD), equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD), inhomogeneous NEMD results, and theoretical predictions. The presented results of thermal conductivity and nonlinear behavior of SCCDPs have a satisfactory agreement with the earlier used results. Lattice correlation (Ψ) and energies for varying plasma parameters (Γ, κ) have confirmed the three phases as nonideal gaseous-like, liquid-like, and strongly coupled (crystalline structure) complex plasmas.