Highly Resolved Fluid Flows: “Liquid Plasmas” at the Kinetic Level

Abstract

Fluid flow around an obstacle was observed at the kinetic (individual particle) level using "complex (dusty) plasmas" in their liquid state. These "liquid plasmas" have bulk properties similar to water (e.g., viscosity), and a comparison in terms of similarity parameters suggests that they can provide a unique tool to model classical fluids. This allows us to study "nanofluidics" at the most elementary-the particle-level, including the transition from fluid behavior to purely kinetic transport. In this (first) experimental investigation we describe the kinetic flow topology, discuss our observations in terms of fluid theories, and follow this up with numerical simulations.