Dispersion and damping of two-dimensional dust acoustic waves: Theory and simulation

Abstract

A two-dimensional generalized hydrodynamics (GH) model is developed to study the full spectrum of both longitudinal and transverse dust acoustic waves (DAW) in strongly coupled complex (dusty) plasmas, with memory-function- formalism being implemented to enforce high-frequency sum rules. Results are compared with earlier theories (such as quasi-localized charge approximation and its extended version) and with a self-consistent Brownian dynamics simulation. It is found that the GH approach provides a good account, not only of dispersion relations, but also of damping rates of the DAW modes in a wide range of coupling strengths, an issue hitherto not fully addressed for dusty plasmas. © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.