Force measurements in dusty plasmas under microgravity by means of laser manipulation
- Institut fuer Physik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald (Germany)
Experiments in a dusty plasma under the microgravity conditions of parabolic flights are presented. Under microgravity, extended dust structures and a central dust-free region ('void') are formed. Here, the forces and the force balance at the void boundary are studied by means of laser manipulation of the dust particles: A focused laser beam is moved in a controlled way to drive particles in the extended dust cloud and at the void boundary. From the observed particle motion, the forces on the particles in the dust cloud and at the void boundary are derived. Together with Langmuir probe measurements, a quantitative description of the force balance has been achieved. Special attention has been paid to the ion drag force, which is crucial in understanding the void formation. The results are compared to prevalent ion drag models.
- OSTI ID:
- 21072724
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 14, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2825007; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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