Ekoplasma - The future of complex plasma research aboard the International Space Station
- Paper number
IAC-18,A2,6,3,x44503
- Author
Dr. Christina A. Knapek, Germany, Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
- Coauthor
Dr. Peter Huber, Germany, Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
- Coauthor
Dr. Daniel P. Mohr, Germany, Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
- Coauthor
Mr. Erich Zaehringer, Germany, Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
- Coauthor
Dr. Vladimir Molotkov, Russian Federation, Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- Coauthor
Dr. Andrey M. Lipaev, Russian Federation, Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- Coauthor
Dr. Vadim N. Naumkin, Russian Federation, Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- Coauthor
Dr. Uwe Konopka, United States, Auburn University
- Coauthor
Prof. Vladimir Fortov, Russian Federation, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Coauthor
Prof. Oleg Petrov, Russian Federation, Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
- Coauthor
Dr. Hubertus Thomas, Germany, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
- Year
2018
- Abstract
Ekoplasma is a joint German-Russian project, developing the future multi-purpose laboratory for the investigation of complex plasmas under microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Complex plasmas are low-temperature plasmas, consisting of neutral gas atoms, ions, electrons and micro-meter sized particles as an additional component. The particles become charged in the plasma and as a result of their mutual repulsion form an optically thin cloud that can be studied in its full spatial and dynamical complexity on the granularity scale of each particle by optical cameras. Therefore, complex plasmas allow fundamental investigations down to the kinetic level of individual particles also for a wide field of interdisciplinary topics in classical condensed matter physics. Since gravity prevents the formation of large, homogeneous systems on earth, research on the ISS is essential, and Ekoplasma will follow in a line of successful preceding experiments aboard the ISS: PKE-Nefedov, PK-3 Plus and the currently operating PK-4 facility. The experimental apparatus of Ekoplasma features a newly developed large, cylindrical plasma chamber (the Zyflex chamber) with an adaptive internal geometry and 4 rf-driven electrodes for plasma generation. With the implemented technology, the accessible experimental parameter range will be extended by magnitudes (e.g. particle charge, neutral gas pressure range) and it will allow an independent control of plasma parameters. Further, particle dynamics will be investigated by a 3D optical diagnostic system, giving new insights into physical phenomena by adding the information of the 3rd dimension, which is usually lost when observing a 2D cross-section of the observation volume. Ekoplasma is planned to be launched to the ISS after 2022, and it will cover a wide range of research topics such as solidification and melting, phase separation in binary systems, the transition to turbulence, active matter or electrorheology. The current status of Ekoplasma will be presented, as well as an overview of recent results of experiments performed on parabolic flights and in the ground laboratory, demonstrating the scientific possibilities and the technology of this new laboratory. This work and some of the authors are funded by DLR/BMWi (FKZ 50WM1441), and by NASA/NSF (JPL-RSA-1571699/NSF-PHY-1740784).
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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