12 / 2018-03-31 22:15:32

Recent results from the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) device

Dusty plasma,Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX),Magnetic field

For over a decade, it has been postulated that the addition of a magnetic field can have a profound influence on the properties of a complex/dusty plasma. A number of experimental devices have been built around the world to explore the physics of dusty plasmas in strongly magnetized plasmas. Just over four years ago, the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) device at Auburn University became the most recent facility to study dusty plasmas in strongly magnetized plasmas. The MDPX device is a flexible, high magnetic field research instrument with a mission to serve as an open access, multi-user facility for the dusty plasma and basic plasma research communities. In a strong magnetic field, the transport of ions and electrons in the plasma will be modified. This changes how the microparticles become charged and modifies the Debye screening of the microparticles by the surrounding plasma, thus altering the inter-particle interactions within the plasma. In particular, under conditions when the magnetic field is sufficiently large, B ≥ 2.5 T, a variety of emergent phenomena are observed including a new type of imposed spatial ordering, significantly modified particle charging, and a strong coupling between ion and microparticle transport. This presentation will focus provide an overview of recent studies using the MDPX device including the effects of magnetic fields on spatial ordering, particle growth, and charging in dusty plasmas.

This work is supported with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation (Physics Division and EPSCoR Office).