A series of experiments on the modernized "Coulomb crystals" setup on board of the International Space Station (ISS) was performed. Formation of a cluster of charged and uncharged particles was observed. Excitation and damping of cluster oscillations, as well as its destruction in the high electric field were investigated. Charges of the particles were evaluated on the basis of their rate of expansion from the cluster. Some conclusions about the cluster structure have been presented.
The results of the experiment on the formation of a cluster in a cusp magnetic trap under microgravity conditions and its destruction at a gradual increase of its electric potential are discussed. It is shown that if a cluster is formed by initially uncharged particles, then the auto-adhesion forces exert an important influence on its shape, structure, and subsequent decay. The structure of the cluster is discussed, and it is shown that it is formed by filamentary fragments. KEYWORDS cluster structure, Coulomb systems, cusp magnetic trap, diamagnetic particle 1 How to cite this article: D'yachkov LG, Ramazanov TS, Petrov OF, Vasiliev MM, Myasnikov MI, Fortov VE, Dzhumagulova KN, Gabdullin MT, Dosbolayev MK, Ussenov YA, Moldabekov ZA, Savin SF, Musabayev TA, Zhantayev ZS and Aimbetov AA . Structure of a Coulomb cluster in the cusp magnetic trap under microgravity conditions, Contributions to Plasma Physics 2018;58:940-945. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctpp.201700103.
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