Dusty plasma induced by solar radiation under microgravitational conditions: an experiment on board the Mir orbiting space station

The dynamics of the formation of ordered structures of macroparticles charg ed by photoemission under the action of solar radiation under microgravitat ional conditions without the use of electrostatic traps to confine the part icles is studied experimentally and theoretically. The working conditions n eeded for the formation of structures of charged macroparticles are chosen as a result of a numerical solution of the problem posed, the particle char ges and the interparticle interaction parameter are determined, and the cha racteristic times specifying the dynamics of the formation of an ordered sy stem of macroparticles are calculated. The behavior of an ensemble of macro particles under the effect of solar radiation is observed experimentally on board the Mir space station. An analysis and comparison of the results of the experimental and theoretical investigations permit drawing a conclusion regarding the possibility of the existences of extended ordered formations of macroparticles charged by photoemission under microgravitational condit ions. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7761(98)00712-4].