Observation and Analyses of Coulomb Crystals in Fine Particle Plasmas

Abstract

Observations of crystal-like ordering of fine particles in plasmas were first reported in 1994, when we succeeded to observe it by growing carbon fine particles in a methane plasma. Video cameras and Mie-scattering ellipsometry were applied for the analyses of fine particles and their crystal ordering. 3D and 2D crystal structures were observed for smaller and larger particles, respectively. The former structures were fcc, fco, and bct, but bcc structure was not observed. The result is due to the fact that the rearrangement from fcc to fco or bct occurs with both constant particle density in horizontal planes and constant interplane vertical distance. Behaviors of fine particles under microgravity were observed and analyzed using ready-made and injected fine particles. Its experimental result showed that the resultant force composed of electrostatic and ion drag forces pushes fine particles outward from the center forming a void.