Relationship between dust acoustic waves in two and three dimensions

Low frequency electrostatic waves are investigated for a monolayer suspension of dust particles that are shielded by an ambient plasma of three-dimensional extension. The dispersion of the resulting dust acoustic surface waves is compared with dust acoustic waves in three dimensions and with lattice modes in two dimensions. It is found that the wave dispersion is determined by shielding of electric fields by electrons and ions on either side of the dust monolayer; this differs from previously studied cases of charged sheets in a vacuum. The phase velocity of these surface waves suggests the definition of a proper dust plasma frequency for monolayer systems