Phase Transition in Dust Clusters with Different Charging Processes

Random charging processes effects on ground‐state configurations and phase transition of a finite system have been investigated in terms of Hamiltonian system. The particles interact through a screened Yukawa potential and are confined by a two‐dimensional parabolic potential. Numerical simulation was performed at low temperature for charging processes by particles collection and by photoemission. Results show that the charge fluctuation changes significantly the ground‐state configurations only in the case of the photoemission charging process and give rise to a change on the melting characteristics. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)