Obliquely Propagating Dust-Density Plasma Waves in the Presence of an Ion Beam

Abstract

Self-excited dust-density waves are experimentally studied in a dusty plasma under microgravity. Two types of waves are observed: a mode inside the dust volume propagating in the direction of the ion flow and a new mode propagating obliquely at the boundary between the dusty plasma and the space-charge sheath. A model for dust-density waves propagating at an arbitrary angle with respect to the ion-flow direction is presented, which explains the preference for oblique or parallel modes as a function of ion velocity.