Modeling Torque Induced Alignment in a Dusty Plasma System
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866910282490576896 |
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| author | Saenz, Benny Rodriguez Marti, Diana Jimenez Matthews, Lorin Swint Hyde, Truell W. |
| author_facet | Saenz, Benny Rodriguez Marti, Diana Jimenez Matthews, Lorin Swint Hyde, Truell W. |
| contents | Irregular dust aggregates immersed in plasma sheaths experience several
orientation-dependent torques that can modify their rotational dynamics and
stability. Here, we investigate the rotational dynamics of charged irregular
aggregates under conditions representative of a GEC rf plasma cell using
self-consistent numerical simulations. The aggregates rotate freely in a
unidirectional sheath electric field that drives an ion flow, allowing the
torque contributions acting on the aggregate to be evaluated throughout the
motion. The results show that the sheath electric field is the main driver
of rotation and aligns the aggregate electric dipole moment with the sheath
field direction. The ion wake modifies this alignment: its axial field
component produces an opposing torque, while its transverse components
introduce a destabilizing contribution that leads to small oscillations
about the equilibrium orientation. The rotational equilibrium is described
by an interaction energy well whose spring constant and depth increase with
the sheath electric field magnitude, indicating stronger alignment and
greater resilience to angular perturbations at higher fields. A second order
multipole expansion of the aggregate ion interaction shows that the dipolar
term governs the ion contribution to the aligning torque, supporting a
dipole ion approximation across the examined conditions. These results
identify the sheath electric field as the principal stabilizing mechanism
for irregular aggregate rotation and clarify how ion wake fields perturb the
equilibrium orientation. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2606_02554 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Modeling Torque Induced Alignment in a Dusty Plasma System Saenz, Benny Rodriguez Marti, Diana Jimenez Matthews, Lorin Swint Hyde, Truell W. Plasma Physics Irregular dust aggregates immersed in plasma sheaths experience several orientation-dependent torques that can modify their rotational dynamics and stability. Here, we investigate the rotational dynamics of charged irregular aggregates under conditions representative of a GEC rf plasma cell using self-consistent numerical simulations. The aggregates rotate freely in a unidirectional sheath electric field that drives an ion flow, allowing the torque contributions acting on the aggregate to be evaluated throughout the motion. The results show that the sheath electric field is the main driver of rotation and aligns the aggregate electric dipole moment with the sheath field direction. The ion wake modifies this alignment: its axial field component produces an opposing torque, while its transverse components introduce a destabilizing contribution that leads to small oscillations about the equilibrium orientation. The rotational equilibrium is described by an interaction energy well whose spring constant and depth increase with the sheath electric field magnitude, indicating stronger alignment and greater resilience to angular perturbations at higher fields. A second order multipole expansion of the aggregate ion interaction shows that the dipolar term governs the ion contribution to the aligning torque, supporting a dipole ion approximation across the examined conditions. These results identify the sheath electric field as the principal stabilizing mechanism for irregular aggregate rotation and clarify how ion wake fields perturb the equilibrium orientation. |
| title | Modeling Torque Induced Alignment in a Dusty Plasma System |
| topic | Plasma Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.02554 |