Pulsed shear motion in a three-dimensional dusty plasma under microgravity conditions
POSTER
Abstract
Shear motion of dust particles in a strongly-coupled dusty plasma under microgravity conditions was investigated using the European Space Agency's facility PK-4 on the International Space Station. The particles were trapped in a plasma powered by a DC voltage that switches its polarity periodically. They self-organized themselves into a structure resembling a solid or a cold liquid. A manipulation laser beam pushed a slab of particles to move through the surrounding sample region. The power of the laser was modulated, causing a sudden onset of pulsed shear motion among the particles. We tracked particle motion using video cameras. Results including the spatial and temporal variations of dust fluid velocity will be shown.
*All authors acknowledge the joint ESA/Roscosmos “Experiment Plasmakristall-4” onboard the International Space Station. Work was partially supported by DLR Grant Nos. 50WM1441 and 50WM1742. Work at Iowa was supported by NASA-JPL subcontracts 1573629 and 1579454, and NSF Award No. 1740379.