Dust Streaming in Toroidal Traps

Molecular dynamic simulations were performed to study the characteristics of particle flows in a toroidal trap driven by the ion drag under the influence of gravity, interparticle forces, and friction with a neutral gas background. This paper is focused on the influence of the driving force and the strength of friction on the dynamics of the dust flow and its different regimes. For small values of the ion drag, the particle flow exhibits instabilities with strong velocity fluctuations, while for high values of the ion drag, a quiescent particle flow is obtained. The transition from unstable flows to quiescent flows is studied in detail.