Dust-Plasma Interactions

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This research seeks advancement of the basic knowledge of the physics of dusty plasmas (one of the fast growing areas of plasma physics), and its application to diverse environments such as the Earth's ionosphere, and laboratory and industrial plasmas. Areas of study include: (1) waves and instabilities in weakly coupled dusty plasmas, including effects such as magnetic fields, plasma inhomogeneities and boundaries, with detailed applications to dusty plasmas in the Earth's ionosphere and in the laboratory; (2) waves and structures in strongly coupled dusty plasmas, including waves in bilayers, and lattice structures of paramagnetic dust.(3) innovative applications involving interaction with electromagnetic waves. The proposal covers a broad range in that it investigates the basic physics of various dusty plasma environments, including space and laboratory dusty plasmas in magnetic fields, strongly coupled dusty plasmas, dust in microplasmas, and possible technological applications of dusty plasmas. The research includes training of students and broad dissemination of results through talks and publications. In addition, the research may have impacts on plasma technologies (e.g., plasma processing, nuclear fusion) in which dusty plasma concepts can play a role. Furthermore, some of the research may have overlap with topical research areas in photonics technology (e.g. photonic crystals).This proposal was submitted to the NSF-DoE Partnership in Plasma Science and Engineering joint solicitation 08-589. This award is being funded by the Plasma Physics Program in the Division of Physics.