On the rotation of a dust particulate in an ion flow in a magnetic field

Spinning motion of a charged test dust particulate placed in a plasma sheat h is studied. The shear of the ion flow velocity in the sheath is found to he responsible for a self-rotation of the particulate, resulting in a forma tion of a magnetic dipole moment. The presence of an external magnetic fiel d will cause the spinning dust particulate to precess around the magnetic f ield direction, while the particulate will experience the cyclotron motion. The spinning frquency is on the order of 10 Hz, while the precession is mu ch slower for the laboratory dust experimental conditions.