Structure within the PK-4 Environment

ORAL

Abstract

Complex plasmas have long proven a versatile analog for the study of soft matter systems. On Earth, interparticle interactions can result in particle alignment as well as the formation of various structural states. Unfortunately, the forces behind these interactions are often partially masked by gravity in terrestrial experiments, obscuring the underlying physics. One way of avoiding this issue is through use of the Plasma Kristall-4 (PK-4) device currently in operation on the International Space Station (ISS) [1]. This talk will discuss structural formation observed within the PK-4 on the International Space Station and compare it to that observed using the PK-4 analogue at Baylor University. Results are interpreted using data from numerical simulations of the plasma discharge, dust charging, and plasma-dust interactions. [1] M. Y. Pustylnik, et. al. \textit{Review of Scientific Instruments }87 (2016) 093505.

*Support from NASA / JPL Grant number 1571701 and NSF Grant numbers 174023 and 1707215 is gratefully acknowledged.

–

Authors

  • Truell W. Hyde

    • Baylor University - CASPER
    • CASPER, Baylor University, One Bear Place 97316, Waco, TX

  • Lorin S. Matthews

    • Baylor University - CASPER
    • Baylor University
    • CASPER, Baylor University, One Bear Place 97316, Waco, TX

  • Peter Hartmann

    • Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
    • CASPER, Baylor University, One Bear Place 97316, Waco, TX

  • Marlene Rosenberg

    • University of California, San Diego, California
    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA

  • Oleg Petrov

    • Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences

  • Vladimir Nosenko

    • DLR Institute of Material Physics in Space, Wessling, Germany