Scaling law for the fluid-solid phase transition in Yukawa systems (Dusty plasmas)

Yukawa systems serve as models for plasmas and colloidal suspensions of cha rged particles. The state of these systems is determined by two dimensionle ss parameters: k = a/lambda(D), which is the ratio of the mean interparticl e distance to the Debye length lambda(D), and Gamma = Z(d)(2)e(2)/aT(d), wh ich is the ratio of the Coulomb potential energy to the particle temperatur e T-d (Z(d) is the charge of each particle). We propose an empirical scalin g law for the critical coupling parameter Gamma(c) needed for crystallizati on in Yukawa systems. The dependence of Gamma(c) on k is in good agreement with recent molecular dynamics simulations. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperio dica".