Bremen 2017 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik

P 17: Dusty Plasmas II

P 17.1: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 08:30–09:00, HS 2010

PK-4 - Complex Plasmas under Microgravity — •Markus Thoma — I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Giessen

Complex plasmas are created in low-temperature and low-pressure discharges by injecting micron size particles into the plasma. By electron collection the micro-particles get highly charged, building a strongly coupled component of the plasma. Complex plasmas can be used as a model for the dynamics (e.g. phase transitions, non-equlibrium physics) of strongly interacting many-body systems.

Experiments with complex plasmas in the laboratory are often strongly disturbed by gravity, restricting the micro-particle clouds to the plasma sheath. Therefore experiments in microgravity conditions are performed in parabolic flights and on board the ISS since almost 20 years. The experiment facility PK-4 ("Plasmakristallexperiment 4") was launched to the ISS in 2014 and used in ten parabolic flight campaigns since 2003.

After an introduction to complex plasmas the PK-4 experiment and its first results from ISS and latest parabolic flights will be discussed.