Bayreuth 1998 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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P: Plasmaphysik

P IV: HV IV

P IV.1: Hauptvortrag

Dienstag, 10. März 1998, 11:45–12:30, H 15

Colloidal Plasmas / Plasma Crystals — •G.E. Morfill — Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, 85740 Garching, Germany

It was shown recently that Coulomb crystallization of a colloidal plasma can be achieved in r.f.-glow discharges. These special regular systems have been called "plasma crystals". Equilibrium charged monodisperse, spherical polymer particles embedded in a plasma interact electrostatically and may self-organise to form regular structures, as well as exhibiting fluid like and gas like behaviour. Colloidal crystals have some similarities with these systems, the main difference is the response time, which is approximately one million times faster. Investigations of dynamical processes, such as phase transitions, wave propagation etc. have been carried out already, with unprecedented resolution in a system which is easily controlled and microscopically resolved. Thus a new experimental approach to the study of strongly coupled plasmas has been opened up, which could pave the way towards a better understanding of these extreme states.