Charge Variations in Planar RF Discharge

In a complex plasma the dust particles achieve electrostatic equilibrium with respect to the plasma by acquiring negative charge. This charge is extremely large compared to the ionic charge. In addition, the particle charge is not fixed but is coupled self-consistently to the surrounding plasma parameters. There are two mechanisms that can lead to random fluctuations of particle charge relative to its equilibrium (time averaged) value [1]. The first is related to the random nature of ionic and electronic currents which charge the particles. The second is a result of random motion of the particles (for example due to their Brownian motion) in the spatially inhomogeneous plasma. Here we consider the influence of charge variations on the dynamics of a mono-layered structure levitated above the powered electrode in a planar rf discharge. Vertical oscillations in such a structure were first reported in [2]