Langin, T.K.Strickler, T.Maksimovic, N.McQuillen, P.Pohl, T.Vrinceanu, D.Killian, T.C.2017-05-232017-05-232016Langin, T.K., Strickler, T., Maksimovic, N., et al.. "Demonstrating universal scaling for dynamics of Yukawa one-component plasmas after an interaction quench." <i>Physical Review E,</i> 93, no. 2 (2016) American Physical Society: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.023201.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/94368The Yukawa one-component plasma (OCP) model is a paradigm for describing plasmas that contain one component of interest and one or more other components that can be treated as a neutralizing, screening background. In appropriately scaled units, interactions are characterized entirely by a screening parameter, κ. As a result, systems of similar κ show the same dynamics, regardless of the underlying parameters (e.g., density and temperature). We demonstrate this behavior using ultracold neutral plasmas (UNPs) created by photoionizing a cold (T≤10 mK) gas. The ions in UNP systems are well described by the Yukawa model, with the electrons providing the screening. Creation of the plasma through photoionization can be thought of as a rapid quench of the interaction potential from κ=∞ to a final κ value set by the electron density and temperature. We demonstrate experimentally that the postquench dynamics are universal in κ over a factor of 30 in density and an order of magnitude in temperature. Results are compared with molecular-dynamics simulations. We also demonstrate that features of the postquench kinetic energy evolution, such as disorder-induced heating and kinetic-energy oscillations, can be used to determine the plasma density and the electron temperature.engArticle is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.Journal articlehttps://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.023201