Studying dust behavior in weakly ionized plasmas with magnetic fields via the DRIAD Code.*

Complex plasmas are composed of micron-sized dust particles that are suspended in a

gas with low ionization levels. The charging of these dust particles occurs as a result of

interactions with electrons and ions, and is influenced by factors such as the

temperature of the plasma, the density of the gas, and the strength of electric fields.

Magnetic fields also have an impact on the charging of dust particles and their

subsequent behavior but it is not well understood. The effect is contingent upon the

levels of magnetization exhibited by various charged species present in the complex

plasma. Despite the fact that current theories mainly concentrate on dust particles that

are spherical in shape, practical situations—encountered, for instance, in experiments

related to fusion and in astrophysical settings—often entail dust particles with irregular

shapes. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, an examination into the charging

mechanism of dust aggregates is undertaken. More specifically, we compare how

aggregates become charged in scenarios where no magnetic field is present (B = 0 T)

to situations where a magnetic field is present (0 T < B < 3.5 T). Our analysis takes into

account the variation in the flow of electrons and ions towards specific points on the

surface of the aggregate. The manner in which charge is distributed across the

aggregate's surface results in conflicting torques, ultimately influencing the orientation

and movement of dust particles within the plasma medium.