Large-scale steady-state structure of a 2D plasma crystal

Abstract

An analytical model, based on a simple physical analogy, and a non-linear analytic/numerical model of the large-scale structure (averaged over the size of a single cell) of a two-dimensional (2D) lattice have been developed. In the first model, a physical analogy between the lattice layer steady state and the stressed state of a rotating solid body was used to derive the model equations and the model is shown to be in good agreement with the results of a 2D simulation. The non-linear model is derived from the force balance between external and internal forces in the continuum limit and compares favourably with an experimental example.