Perturbation of Complex Plasma Crystals with Torsion Inclusions

Torsions are non-Hamiltonian features of some quasi 2D complex plasma crystals which occur when two dust particles vertically leave the plane of the crystal and begin to oscillate horizontally within a force cage formed by the remaining crystal lattice. Although, torsions have been studied as mechanisms within a complex plasma to achieve both energy transfer and phase transitions, little work has been done to carry out studies employing crystal perturbation of crystals with torsion inclusions. Such work is vital to clarifying how torsions affect the global dynamics of the surrounding crystal lattice. In this talk we present preliminary results of laser induced perturbation of such systems.