Collaborative Research: Advancing the Physics of Magnetized Dusty Plasmas

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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.