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Physics of complex "dusty" plasmas
A “complex plasma” is a “normal” electron-ion
plasma with an additional charged component of small (typically,
micron-sized) particles. The extra component significantly increases
the complexity of the system and is responsible for the name “complex
plasma”.
Exceptional features of complex plasmas:
- The microparticle component can be visualized easily, allowing
research at the most fundamental (the kinetic) level;
- The plasma dynamics is slowed down.
- The physics of collective
processes is observable in “slow motion”;
- Liquid and crystalline plasma states as well as kinetics of
phase transitions can be investigated;
- The combination of plasma technology and colloid technology
opens up new horizons in manufacturing and processing
Current Research Areas
- Fundamentals
of a complex plasma
- Complex
plasmas in laboratory and nature
- Applications
of a complex plasma
- Nonlinear
plasma waves and solitons
- Wave-particle
and wave-wave interactions
People
Dr T. van der Straaten (Visiting Scientist)
Dr S. Vladimirov
(Australian Professorial Fellow)
Dr K. Ostrikov (QEII Fellow)
Dr H.J. Yoon (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Mr S. Barkby (Vacation Student)
Mr Tim Olshansky (Vacation Student)
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Figure 1. Dust cloud
in a Star-birth region.
Figure 2. Dust cloud in Saturn ring spokes.
Figure 3. MD s imulations of plasma wakes
of one and two charged dust particles.
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