Laser heating of monolayer dusty plasmas is investigated theoretically by Langevin dynamics simulations. The laser radiation pressure is used to externally control the dust temperature without changing the plasma properties. We show that the laser scanning pattern has a major influence on both the velocity distribution function and the stationary structure of the cluster. Furthermore, the heating effect is found to be enhanced when the laser spots move with slightly higher frequencies than the trap frequency. The simulations confirm that a proper thermodynamic excitation of the dust particles is possible.
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