Three-dimensional structure of self-excited dust density waves under microgravity conditions
- Institut fuer Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts Universitaet Kiel, D-24098 Kiel (Germany)
Self-excited dust density waves in a dusty plasma, containing micrometer-sized particles, have been observed under microgravity conditions at low gas pressures and high dust densities. The waves emerge spontaneously and propagate from the void edge radially outwards to the plasma boundary. We found that the wave propagates obliquely to the local ion flow in regions with high electric fields close to the sheath, whereas it propagates parallel in the plasma bulk. So far the observation was limited to a fixed two-dimensional section through the discharge volume. Recent experiments were performed on parabolic flights in a parallel plate rf discharge, which used the technique of scanning video microscopy. This technique utilizes the high temporal coherence of the waves to reconstruct their full three-dimensional structure. The analysis yields a surprising global spatial coherence of the wave phenomenon.
- OSTI ID:
- 21251213
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1041, Issue 1; Conference: 5. international conference on the physics of dusty plasmas, Ponta Degada, Azores (Portugal), 18-23 May 2008; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2996754; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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