Dust cloud evolution in sub-stellar atmospheres via plasma deposition and plasma sputtering

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new model for dust growth and destruction in sub-stellar atmospheres, emphasizing the roles of plasma deposition and sputtering, and compares these processes to neutral gas-phase chemistry.

Contribution

It develops a mathematical framework for plasma-driven dust processes and identifies conditions where plasma effects dominate in sub-stellar atmospheres.

Findings

Plasma sputtering dominates over deposition at ionisation levels above 10^{-4}.

Loosely bound grains are susceptible to plasma sputtering, while crystalline grains resist.

The model provides a foundation for integrating plasma effects into global dust cloud models.

Abstract

In contemporary sub-stellar model atmospheres, dust growth occurs through neutral gas-phase surface chemistry. Recently, there has been a growing body of theoretical and observational evidence suggesting that ionisation processes can also occur. As a result, atmospheres are populated by regions composed of plasma, gas and dust, and the consequent influence of plasma processes on dust evolution is enhanced. This paper aims to introduce a new model of dust growth and destruction in sub-stellar atmospheres via plasma deposition and plasma sputtering. Using example sub-stellar atmospheres from Drift-Phoenix, we have compared plasma deposition and sputtering timescales to those from neutral gas-phase surface chemistry to ascertain their regimes of influence. We calculated the plasma sputtering yield and discuss the circumstances where plasma sputtering dominates over deposition. Within the highest dust density cloud regions, plasma deposition and sputtering dominates over neutral gas-phase surface chemistry if the degree of ionisation is $\gtrsim10^{-4}$. Loosely bound grains with surface binding energies of the order of $0.1-1$ eV are susceptible to destruction through plasma sputtering for feasible degrees of ionisation and electron temperatures; whereas, strong crystalline grains with binding energies of the order $10$ eV are resistant to sputtering. The mathematical framework outlined sets the foundation for the inclusion of plasma deposition and plasma sputtering in global dust cloud formation models of sub-stellar atmospheres.