Transverse magnetic field influence on wakefield in complex plasmas

Abstract

We present the results of an investigation of the wakefield around a stationary charged grain in an external magnetic field with non-zero transverse component with respect to the ion flow direction. The impact of the orientation of magnetic field on the wake behavior in streaming complex plasmas is assessed. In contrast to previously reported significant suppression of the wake oscillations due to longitudinal magnetic field applied along flow, in the presence of transverse to flow magnetic field the wakefield exhibits a long range recurrent oscillations. Extensive investigation for a wide range of parameters reveal that in the sonic and supersonic regimes the wake has strong dependence on the direction of the magnetic field and exhibits sensitivity to even a meager deviation of magnetic field from the longitudinal orientation. The tool obtained with the study of impact of transverse component of magnetic field on the wake around grain in streaming ions can be used to potentially maneuver the grain-grain interaction to achieve controlled grain dynamics.