Effect of Thermionic Emission on Dust-Acoustic Solitons in a Dust-Electron Plasma

The effects of thermionic emission on dust-acoustic solitons with a very small but finite amplitude in a dust--electron plasma are studied using the reductive perturbation technique. The self-consistent variation of dust charge is taken into account. It is shown that the thermionic emission could significantly increase the dust positive charge. The dependences of the phase velocity, amplitude, and width of such solitons on the dust temperature and the dust work function of dust material are plotted and discussed.