Linear and nonlinear dust ion-acoustic waves are studied experimentally in a homogeneous unmagnetized dusty plasma. In the linear regime, the phase velocity of the wave increases and the wave suffers heavy damping with increasing dust density. An oscillatory ion-acoustic shock wave in usual Ar plasma transforms into a monotonic shock front when it travels through the dusty plasma column. The Korteweg–de Vries–Burgers equation is numerically integrated taking experimental parameters into account, and the results are compared with the experimental findings.

• Received 20 January 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.1602