AMPLITUDE-MODULATION OF DUST-LATTICE WAVES IN A PLASMA CRYSTAL

It is found that the nonlinear dynamics of amplitude-modulated dispers ive dust lattice waves (DLW) is governed by a nonlinear Schrodinger eq uation. The latter exhibits that a constant amplitude carrier dust lat tice wave is modulationally stable, and that the modulated DLW packet propagates in the form of either an envelope dark soliton or an envelo pe shock. The relevance of our theoretical investigation to simulation studies as well as to a laboratory dusty plasma experiment is pointed out. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-664X(98)03207-8]