Rotation of a single dust granule (spin) is investigated experimentally in a stratified glow discharge. We employ the technique of measurement of the angular velocity, which is based on coordinate tracing of the light scattered by a hollow transparent particle. The angular velocity measured in the experiment is about 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than observed in previous experiments. We found that the angular velocity depends linearly on the discharge current. The mechanism of rotation of the granule is also described.

Key words Dusty (complex) plasmas, magnetic field, magnetic tops, spinning of dust particle.Paper contains the results of investigation of separate dust granules mechanical state. Observations were performed in high optical resolution. Magnetic induction varied up to 400 G. Motion of particles of different shapes was studied separately. These shapes were: ideally spherical, spherical with defects and non-spherical. The peculiar physical features of fast rotating dusty granules (tops) were observed. They are the emergence of magnetic moment of rotating charged granule and the orientation change of magnetic moment at magnetic field superimposition. The effects observed in magnetic field are supplied with qualitative interpretation.

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