Characteristics
The temperature of dust in a plasma may be quite different from its environment. For example:
| Dust plasma component | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Dust temperature | 10 K |
| Molecular temperature | 100 K |
| Ion temperature | 1,000 K |
| Electron temperature | 10,000 K |
The electric potential of dust particles is typically 1–10 V (positive or negative). The potential is usually negative because the electrons are more mobile than the ions. The physics is essentially that of a Langmuir probe that draws no net current, including formation of a Debye sheath with a thickness of a few times the Debye length. If the electrons charging the dust grains are relativistic, then the dust may charge to several kilovolts. Field electron emission, which tends to reduce the negative potential, can be important due to the small size of the particles. The photoelectric effect and the impact of positive ions may actually result in a positive potential of the dust particles.
Read more about this topic: Dusty Plasma