Dynamics of 2D Dust Clusters with a Perpendicular Magnetic Field
- Institut fuer Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts Universitaet, Kiel (Germany)
The physics of two-dimensional (2D) dust clusters in an unmagnetized plasma sheath has been understood in dept. However, introduction of a perpendicular magnetic field into the dusty plasma sheath leads to some new effects, such as rotation and compression of dust clusters, whose mechanism is still unclear. It is found that even for a magnetic field as low as the earth magnetic field ({approx_equal}40 {mu}T), clusters rotate as rigid about their centers. It was proposed [U. Konopka, PRE 61, 1890 (2000)] that the ExB-induced ion flow drives the dust clusters into rotation. Simulations [L.-J. Hou, PoP 12, 042104 (2005)] based on the same hypothesis also reproduced the rotation of 2D clusters in a qualitative manner. However, this model cannot fully explain the experimental observations. We present detailed experimental investigations, which show that the rotation of a dust cluster critically depends on the detailed discharge geometry. In particular, the co-rotation of the background neutral gas and its role in driving dust-cluster rotation is proposed as a mechanism to set the dust cluster in rotation.
- OSTI ID:
- 21251243
- 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: 10.1063/1.2996928; (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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