Collaborative Research: Advancing the Physics of Magnetized Dusty Plasmas

这个项目将研究强磁场与尘埃(或复杂的)等离子体相互作用的基本物理，尘埃(或复杂的)等离子体是由电子、离子和中性原子组成的四组分系统，加上第三个带电成分-纳米到微米大小的固体颗粒；即“尘埃”。几乎所有自然产生的等离子体都含有尘埃，从行星环到在地球大气层高处形成夜光云的带电冰，再到恒星和行星形成区域的尘埃。目前在工业等离子体中纳米颗粒的形成和控制方面的工作也导致了材料合成技术的改进，这可能会产生长期的社会效益。尽管如此，尘埃等离子体研究的许多方面仍未得到开发。其中一个领域就是磁场的作用。由于尘埃等离子体的组成粒子是带电的，这意味着它们的动力学可以被磁场改变和控制。然而，这需要产生大的、稳定的磁场，只有随着超导技术的最近进步，才有可能建立能够探索磁化尘埃等离子体物理所需的实验条件的设备。这为尘埃等离子体研究打开了新的令人兴奋的研究机会，使实验系统能够进行与天体物理和技术相关的研究。这项研究是奥本大学和爱荷华大学的实验研究与加州大学圣地亚哥分校的理论研究的合作，将调查描述等离子体、磁场和带电尘埃之间耦合的详细物理学。研究将集中在磁化尘埃等离子体实验(MDPX)--位于奥本大学的最近投入使用的多用户、多配置、高磁场设备。主要研究三个主题：(1)磁场对带电微粒性质的直接影响；(2)磁化等离子体中自组织和新发现的强制有序态的形成；(3)磁化等离子体中新类型集体现象(波和不稳定性)的产生。该项目将支持伙伴机构的本科生和研究生研究人员的培训。通过合作，将为国内和国际研究生提供更多的研究机会，以利用MDPX设备进一步研究。将与大学、国家实验室和国际机构的同事建立进一步的研究伙伴关系，以扩大寻求将MDPX设备用于尘埃等离子体和基础等离子体研究项目的用户群体。

This project will study the basic physics of the interaction of strong magnetic fields with dusty (or complex) plasmas, which are four-component systems consisting of the usual plasma constituents of electrons, ions, and neutral atoms with the addition of a third charged component - nanometer to micrometer sized solid particulates; i.e., "dust". Almost all naturally-occurring plasmas contain dust, from planetary rings, to the charged ices that form noctilucent clouds high in the Earth's atmosphere, to the presence of dust in star- and planet-forming regions. Current work on the formation and control of nanometer-sized particles in industrial plasmas has also led to improved techniques for materials synthesis, which may have long term societal benefit. Nonetheless, there are many aspects of dusty plasma research that remain untapped. One such area is the role of magnetic fields. Because the constituent particles of a dusty plasma are charged, it means that their dynamics can be modified and controlled by magnetic fields. However, this requires the production of large, steady state magnetic fields, and only with the recent advancements in superconducting technologies has it become possible to build devices capable of the experimental conditions required to explore the physics of magnetized dusty plasmas. This opens up new and exciting research opportunities for dusty plasma research to access experimental regimes that allow investigations with both astrophysical and technological relevance.This study, which is a collaboration between experimental research at Auburn University and the University of Iowa, and theoretical research at the University of California - San Diego, will investigate the detailed physics that describes the coupling between the plasma, magnetic fields and the charged dust. Investigations will be centered on the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) - a recently commissioned multi-user, multi-configuration, high magnetic field device located at Auburn University. Three main topics will be investigated: (1) the direct influence of the magnetic field on the properties of the charged microparticles; (2) the formation of self-organized and newly discovered imposed ordered states in the magnetized plasma; and (3) the generation of new types of collective phenomena (waves and instabilities) that occur in magnetized plasmas. This project will support the training of undergraduate and graduate student researchers at the partner institutions. Through collaborations, additional research opportunities will be provided for domestic and international graduate students to make use of the MDPX device to further their research. Further research partnerships with colleagues at universities, national laboratories, and international institutions will be established to broaden the user community who seek to use the MDPX device for both dusty plasma and basic plasma research projects.