Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 March 2014
An electron–positron pair plasma having dust impurity and density non-uniformity is studied for its unperturbed state and evolution of solitary structures under the effect of either positively charged or negatively charged dust grains. Zeroth-order equations are solved to examine the unperturbed state of the plasma via unperturbed potential φ0, drift velocities of the electrons and positrons (ve0 and vp0), and plasma (positron) density gradient np0η. It is observed that the dust distribution affects the gradient np0η significantly, which increases very sharply with a small increment in the dust density gradient nd0η. With relation to the solitary structures, a modified form of Korteweg–deVries equation (mKdV equation) is realized in the said plasma, which reveals that a tailing structure is associated with the soliton (sech2 structure). This tail is less prominent in the present pair plasma, contrary to the observation made in ordinary plasmas having only ions and electrons. The dust impurity is found to influence the solitary structure much significantly and its presence suppresses the rarefactive solitons, which are generally observed in multi-component species plasmas.