Method of Control of Ion Drag Force in Complex Plasmas

Abstract

The research of dust structures dynamics in striations of the glow discharge in the magnetic field in the mixture of gases is presented. A variation of an ion flux velocity at an additive in light plasma forming gas of a small changeable portion of heavy and easily ionized components makes the control of ion drag force. It is shown that the small part of xenon (up to 5 percent) changes the static and dynamic properties of dust structure essentially. The increase of angular velocity of dust structure is revealed upon transition from pure helium to the mixture with small impurity of xenon. A reduction of vertical interpartical distance in dust structure in the mixture with xenon is detected. Results are agreed with data of calculation of characteristics of drift of ions in mixtures of gases.

Complex plasma in glow discharge in a strong magnetic field

“…In this case, the rotation of the dust particles occurs under the drag force action by ions drifting in crossed magnetic (longitudinal) and electric (radial ambipolar) fields. This mechanism was studied in detail in a series of papers [17][18][19][38][39][40][41][42][43]. With the magnetic-field increase, the rotation velocity slows down and drops to zero, at B ≈ 0.027 T the rotation inversion occurs.…”