Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1863318 Physics Letters A 2007 5 Pages PDF
Abstract

The critical instability of two dust particles levitating in the complex plasma sheath of a radio-frequency discharge is considered. It is shown that the two-particle system has a critical point where the alignment symmetry is continuously broken as the system parameter is varied. The associated critical exponents are derived and found to belong to the Ising universality class. Another universality class is suggested for symmetry breaking of the confinement in the horizontal and vertical directions.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Physics and Astronomy Physics and Astronomy (General)
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