Phase separations of strongly coupled fine particles and fine particle mixtures in plasmas

Abstract

Phase separations in strongly coupled fine particles in plasmas are discussed and two-component mixtures are simulated by molecular dynamics with the background plasma being treated as continuum. The system size of laboratory experiments is assumed and separations into phases with a common electron density of the background plasma are analyzed. Since the charge on fine particles increases approximately in proportion to the size, we expect the larger component with stronger coupling condensates from the mixture. Results expressed in terms of strengths of Coulomb coupling and screening of the larger component seem to be mostly similar to the one-component case, at least in cases where the ratio of fine particle sizes is 2, and the mixing ratio is in the range from 0.25 to 0.75.