Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the interaction of an electron beam with a plasma crystal*

The kinetic effects on the dust particles in a plasma crystal locally irradiated by a narrow, pulsed electron beam (EB) with energies from 10 – 15 keV have recently been presented. [C.M. Ticoş, et. al., Phys. Plasmas, Phys. Plasmas 26, 043702 (2019)., C.M. Ticoş, et. al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 62, 025003 (2020)] These studies have revealed that the EB pushes the dust particles in the irradiation zone, leading to both laminar and turbulent flow. Further, these studies have examined interaction of the EB is described in terms of the electron penetration depth, deposited energy and heating of the MPs, as well as resulting motion of the dust that has been irradiate by the electron beam. In this, we report on molecular dynamic simulations of this interaction. These simulations reproduce many of the observed experimental results and provide new insight into the interaction of the dust grains in a plasma crystal and an externally applied electron beam.