Formation of shocks related to dust-particle charging in complex plasmas

The nonstationary problem of the evolution of perturbation and its transformation into nonlinear wave structure in complex plasmas (multicomponent plasmas containing ions, electrons, charged microspheres or dust grains, and neutral gas) is considered. For this purpose, the model, which takes into account the variation of ion density and the ion-momentum dissipation due to dust-particle charging, as well as the source of plasma particles due to the ionization process, is developed. The model is appropriate for the description of laboratory experiments in complex plasmas and contains all basic mechanisms responsible for the formation of a new kind of shock waves which is related to the anomalous dissipation due to the dust-particle charging process. The consideration on the basis of this model allows us to obtain shock structures as a result of evolution of an initial perturbation and to explain the experimental value of the width of the ion acoustic shock-wave front, as well as the shock-wave speed. The solution of the problem of the evolution of perturbation and its transformation into a shock wave in complex plasmas opens up possibilities for description of the real phenomena like supernova explosions, as well as of the laboratory and active space and geophysical experiments. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".