Hannover 2020 – scientific programme

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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik

P 18: Complex plasma and Low-temperature plasma and applications 2

P 18.5: Talk

Thursday, March 12, 2020, 12:40–12:55, b302

Complex plasma experiments in microgravity with the Zyflex chamber — •Christina A. Knapek, Daniel P. Mohr, Peter Huber, and Mierk Schwabe — Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Materialphysik im Weltraum, Wessling, Germany

Complex plasmas consist of highly charged micrometer-sized grains injected into a low temperature noble gas discharge. The particles interact with each other via a screened Coulomb potential, and can form gaseous, liquid or solid states. On ground, gravity compresses the system and prevents the generation of larger, three-dimensional particle clouds. To study those systems, research in microgravity conditions, e.g. on parabolic flights, sounding rockets or the International Space Station (ISS), is essential.

In this talk, some of the latest results of experiments performed during parabolic flights with the Zyflex plasma chamber – a large, cylindrical radio-frequency (rf) discharge with adaptive internal geometry and a special electrode system – will be presented.

In microgravity, complex plasmas generated in a parallel-plate rf discharge usually exhibit a void in the central region of the plasma chamber, due to the ion drag force pushing particles out of the bulk plasma. The performed experiments include the successful generation of large, homogeneous 3D particle clouds without central void, and the observation of fluid phenomena at the void boundary.

This work is funded by DLR/BMWi (FKZ 50WM1441).