Heat Transfer in a Two-Dimensional Crystalline Complex (Dusty) Plasma

Heating and heat transfer were studied in a two-dimensional crystalline complex plasma at the kinetic level. The lattice was formed of microspheres levitated in a plasma sheath. One half of the crystal was heated anisotropically to obtain higher kinetic temperatures in one direction and heat conduction was observed in real time. It was found that the longitudinal phonons conduct heat better than the transverse. The thermometric conductivity coefficient was measured to be $53\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{mm}}^{2}/\mathrm{s}$ for longitudinal heating and $30\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{mm}}^{2}/\mathrm{s}$ for transverse heating. Heat decay lengths and energy exchange times between the temperature components were determined.