02-17E

A non-traditional approach to the computer simulation study of a class of quasi-two-dimensional Coulomb systems is presented. The essence of the approach lies in exploiting the fact that the charged confinement is of finite dimensions. The main consequence of such a finiteness is a non-zero potential gradient along the finite charged area that induces a non-zero tangential component of the electric field. A system of like-charged spherical particles confined by the planar surface that includes an oppositely charged squared area is considered as an example. We find that the like-charged particles, independently of their number, all become confined on the oppositely charged area if the surface charge balances the total charge carried by the particles.