Dusty molecules in a magnetic field

The influence of an external magnetic field on the interaction of dusty par ticles in a gas discharge plasma is considered. It is shown that the attrac tive force of dusty particles in weak magnetic fields grows with the increa sing field as H-2/3 and tends to a constant in the limit of strong magnetic fields. It is also demonstrated that a dusty molecule in a magnetic field can have a discrete number of equilibrium positions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scie nce B.V.