Kinetic theory of dust ion acoustic waves in a kappa-distributed plasma

Using a kinetic theory approach, dust ion acoustic (DIA) waves are investigated in an unmagnetized collisionless plasma with kappa-distributed electrons and ions, and Maxwellian dust grains of constant charge. Both analytical and numerical results, the latter following from the full solution of the associated dispersion relation, are presented, and a comparison is made. The effects of the ion and electron spectral indices, as well as the species' density (n(e)/n(i)) and temperature (T-e/T-i) ratios, on the dispersion and damping of the waves are considered. In the long wavelength regime, increases in both the electron spectral index (kappa(e)) and the dust density fraction (reduced f = n(e)/n(i)) lead to an increase in phase velocity. The range in wavelength over which modes are weakly damped increases with an increase in T-e/T-i. However, the ion spectral index, kappa(i), does not have a significant effect on the dispersion or damping of DIA waves. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.