Observation of metallic sphere - complex plasma interactions in microgravity

Kurzfassung

The PK-3 Plus laboratory [1, 2] on board the International Space Station is used to study the interaction between metallic spheres and a complex plasma. We show that the spheres significantly affect both the local plasma environment and the microparticles. The spheres charge under the influence of the plasma and repel the microparticles, forming cavities surrounding the spheres. At intermediate distances from the sphere surface, however, the interaction between the microparticles and the spheres is attractive. The spheres affect the plasma fluxes, which can lead to the excitation of dust-acoustic waves near the spheres.