coulomb clusters of dust particles in cusp magnetic trap under microgravity conditions
- Paper number
IAC-15,A2,IP,4,x28637
- Author
Dr. Maxim Myasnikov, Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation
- Coauthor
Prof. Oleg Petrov, Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation
- Coauthor
Dr. Mikhail Vasiliev, Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation
- Coauthor
Prof. Lev D'yachkov, Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation
- Coauthor
Dr. Sergey Savin, Rocket Space Corporation Energia, Russian Federation
- Coauthor
Prof. Vladimir Fortov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation
- Year
2015
- Abstract
Physical properties of strongly coupled Coulomb systems (SCCS) are of considerable interest in various fields of science and technology. Using SCCS of dust particles, one can investigate the processes of phase transitions, waves, and instabilities on kinetic level. For confinement and investigation of SCCS of dust particles, we propose to use a trap based on the known possibility of the levitation of diamagnetic bodies in a nonuniform steady-state magnetic field. For the investigation of Coulomb systems of diamagnetic (graphite) particles in cusp magnetic field under microgravity conditions the experimental setup with the region of stable levitation about 400 cm$^3$ and magnetic field gradient of 0.04 T/cm was produced. A cusp magnetic field is generated by two coils placed on the same axis, in which currents circulate in the opposite directions. Experiment "Coulomb crystal" were carried out onboard of International Space Station (ISS) with graphite particles with sizes of 100, 200, 300 and 400 $\mu$m. Particles placed in the middle of the replaceable container within a cylindrical glassy cell with a diameter of 52 mm and a height of 40 mm. Glassy cell filled with argon at atmospheric pressure. Charging of the particles was carried out using a central wire electrode of diameter 200 $\mu$m that passed along the axis of the cell. For the modified experimental setup "Coulomb crystals" has developed a new set of four replaceable containers with advanced diagnostics. The maximum electric potential of the central electrode is increased to 150 V. The preliminary analysis of the experiments allowed us to determine the formation of large Coulomb cluster of graphite particles in the magnetic trap. A number of particles in the cluster were about $10^3$. Observed the formation of chain-like structures of graphite particles. Chains are formed by the action of the polarization forces. As a result of redistribution electric charge along the chain and accumulate it on a few particles Coulomb explosion occurs, leading to a break of the chain. We performed MD simulation of the clusters in the cusp magnetic trap. Found that clusters with only a few particles retain a two-dimensional configuration, becoming three-dimensional as the number of particles increases. This work was supported by the Research Program of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Thermophysics of high energy densities” and by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project No. 14-02-31226.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)