A review on the Vortex and Coherent Structures in Dusty Plasma Medium

Abstract

Dusty plasma is an admixture of electrons, ions, and massive charged solid particles of sub-micron to micron-sized in the background of neutral gas. The dust grain medium exhibits fluid (liquid) as well as solid-like characteristics at different background plasma conditions. It supports various linear and non-linear dynamical structures because of the external perturbation and internal instabilities. The vortical or coherent structure in the dusty plasma medium is a kind of self-sustained dynamical structure that is formed either by instabilities or external forcing. In this review article, the author discusses the past theoretical, experimental, and computational investigations on vortical and coherent structures in unmagnetized as well as in magnetized dusty plasma. The possible mechanisms to form vortices in dust grain medium are discussed in detail. The studies on the evolution of vortices and their correlation with turbulence are also reviewed.