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The effects of electric dipole moment, the number of dipolar particles, and system temperature on the structures and dynamics of a dipolar dust particle system are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that the larger electric dipole moment is favorable for the formation of a long-chain structure, the larger number of dipolar dust particles promotes the formation of the multi-chain structure, and the higher system temperature can cause higher rotation frequency. The trajectories, mean square displacement (MSD), and the corresponding spectrum functions of the MSDs are also calculated to illustrate the dynamics of the dipolar dust particle system, which is also closely related to the growth of dust particles. Some simulations are qualitatively in agreement with our experiments and can provide a guide for the study on dust growth, especially on the large-sized particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of radial electric field on the structures and dynamics of dust dipoles are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The dipoles' configuration and mean distance to the system center are used to illustrate the structures of the whole system. It is shown that the dipole particles can arrange themselves into ring-like structures in the absence of external electric field, which can gradually transform to vortex, and then to radial arrangement with the increase of the strength of electric field. The trajectories, mean square displacement, and the mean speed in radial and tangential directions of dipoles are investigated to depict the effects of the radial electric filed on the collective motion of dust dipolar particles, which are closely associated with the growth of dust particle, especially for the formation of rod-like and some other complex fractal dust particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of the system temperature on the micro-structures and dynamics of dust clusters in dusty plasmas is investigated through laboratory experiment and molecular dynamics simulation. The micro-structures, defect numbers, and pair correlation function of the dust clusters are studied for different system temperatures. The dust grains' trajectories, the mean square displacement, and the corresponding self-diffusion coefficient of the clusters are calculated for different temperatures for illustrating the phase properties of the dust clusters. The simulation results confirm that with the increase in system temperature, the micro-structures and dynamics of dust clusters are gradually changed, which qualitatively agree with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimum-energy configurations of systems of multispecies charged grains of different mass and charge with an interaction potential including long-range repulsive as well as short-range attractive components are studied by molecular dynamics simulation. The grains are also subject to a radial drag force and a quadratic confining potential. It is found that central as well as band-like void regions separating grains of different species can exist as well as coexist, depending on the species parameters. The results are consistent with the horizontal cross-sections of the structures found in a recent experiment on self-organization of chemically synthesizing grains [Huang et al. Chin. Phys. Lett. 21, 121 (2004)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]