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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 73 » Issue 5
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 652–655 (1994)

Plasma Crystal: Coulomb Crystallization in a Dusty Plasma

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H. Thomas*, G. E. Morfill, and V. Demmel
Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, 85740 Garching, Germany

J. Goree†
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

B. Feuerbacher and D. Möhlmann
DLR, Institut für Raumsimulation, 51140 Köln, Germany

Received 25 January 1994; published in the issue dated 1 August 1994

A macroscopic Coulomb crystal of solid particles in a plasma has been observed. Images of a cloud of 7-μm "dust" particles, which are charged and levitated in a weakly ionized argon plasma, reveal a hexagonal crystal structure. The crystal is visible to the unaided eye. The particles are cooled by neutral gas to 310 K, and their charge is >9800e, corresponding to a Coulomb coupling parameter Γ>20 700. For such a large Γ value, strongly coupled plasma theory predicts that the particles should organize in a Coulomb solid, in agreement with our observations.

© 1994 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.73.652
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.73.652
PACS:
52.25.-b, 64.70.-p, 94.10.Nh

*Permanent address: DLR, Institut für Raumsimulation, 51140 Köln Germany. Electronic address: Hubertus. Thomas@europa.rs.kp.dlr.de

†Electronic address: john-goree@uiowa.edu

 
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