DIRECT OBSERVATION OF COULOMB CRYSTALS AND LIQUIDS IN STRONGLY COUPLED RF DUSTY PLASMAS

Authors
CHU JH LIN I
Citation
Jh. Chu et I. Lin, DIRECT OBSERVATION OF COULOMB CRYSTALS AND LIQUIDS IN STRONGLY COUPLED RF DUSTY PLASMAS, Physical review letters, 72(25), 1994, pp. 4009-4012
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
Physical review letters → ACNP
ISSN journal
00319007
Volume
72
Issue
25
Year of publication
1994
Pages
4009 - 4012
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-9007(1994)72:25<4009:DOOCCA>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
The strongly coupled dusty plasmas are formed by suspending negatively charged SiO2 fine particles with 10 mum diameter in weakly ionized rf Ar discharges. The Coulomb crystals and liquids are directly observed for the first time using an optical microscope. By properly controlli ng the system parameters, hexagonal, fcc, and bcc crystal structures a nd solids with coexisting different crystal structures can be formed. Increasing the rf power causes the transition to the more disordered l iquid state.