Large amplitude double layers in a positively charged dusty plasma with nonthermal electrons

A pseudopotential approach is used to investigate large amplitude dust-acoustic solitary structures for a plasma composed of positively charged dust, cold electrons, and nonthermal hot electrons. Numerical investigation for an adiabatic situation is conducted to examine the existence region of the wave. The negative potential of the double layers is found to be dependent on nonthermal parameters, Mach number, and electrons temperature. A range of the nonthermal parameters values exists for which two possible double layers for the same plasma mix at different Mach numbers and with significant different amplitudes. The present model is used to investigate localized structures in the lower-altitude Earth’s ionosphere.