Eur. Phys. J. D (2014) 68: 219
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2014-50177-4

Regular Article

Vlasov-kinetic computer simulations of electrostatic waves in dusty plasmas: an overview of recent results^*

¹ Department of Physics, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
² Center for Plasma Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Queen’s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1 NN Northern Ireland, UK

^a e-mail: Mehdi.Jenab@yahoo.com

Received: 4 March 2014
Received in final form: 24 May 2014
Published online: 12 August 2014

Abstract

A series of numerical simulations based on a recurrence-free Vlasov kinetic model using kinetic phase point trajectories are presented. Electron-ion plasmas and three-component (electron-ion-dust) dusty or complex plasmas are considered, via independent simulations. Considering all plasma components modeled through a kinetic approach, the linear and nonlinear behavior of ion-acoustic excitations is investigated. Maxwellian and kappa-type (superthermal) distribution functions are assumed, as initial conditions, in separate simulations for the sake of comparison. The focus is on the parametric dependence of ion-acoustic waves on the electron-to-ion temperature ratio and on the dust concentration.