Molecular dynamics simulations of crystallization processes in complex plasmas

Summary form only given. In our talk we review recent progress in understanding of crystallization phenomena in complex plasmas. Recently crystallization waves (CW) propagating through the plasma crystal were observed experimentally. To analyse the crystallization processes we performed 1D, 2D and 3D molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a Yukawa system of particles using parameters similar to those of the experiment. Effects of gravity, neutral drag and neutral collisions-induced stochastic force (Langevin force) were included into the simulations. The simulations show that only 3D MD simulations reproduce well CW front propagation velocity. It means that crystallization in complex plasmas is essentially 3D process. Finally we discuss the local order features behind the crystallization front