Magnetized dusty plasmas: The next frontier for complex plasma research

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of magnetic fields in dusty (complex) plasma experiments. It first provides a description of the conditions necessary for a dusty plasma to become fully magnetized. The paper then briefly reviews a series of experimental studies that illustrate how magnetic fields are applied to dusty plasmas - from experiments that use magnetic fields to control the background plasma to those that have strong enough magnetic fields to directly modify the confinement and dynamics of the charged microparticles. The paper will then discuss the newest experiment that is currently under development at Auburn University, the magnetized dusty plasma experiment device. The paper concludes with a discussion of important outstanding physics and technical issues that will define the next generation of experiments. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.