Cycloid motions of grains in a dust plasma**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11205044 and 11405042), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province, China (Grant Nos. A2011201006 and A2012201015), the Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Hebei Province, China (Grant No. Y2012009), the Program for Young Principal Investigators of Hebei Province, and the Midwest

Abstract

Hypocycloid and epicycloid motions of irregular grains (pine pollen) are observed for the first time in a dust plasma in a two-dimensional (2D) horizontal plane. These cycloid motions can be regarded as a combination of a primary circle and a secondary circle. An inverse Magnus force originating from the spin of the irregular grain gives rise to the primary circle. Radial confinement resulting from the electrostatic force and the ion drag force, together with inverse Magnus force, plays an important role in the formation of the secondary circle. In addition, the cyclotron radius is seen to change periodically during the cycloid motion. Force analysis and comparison experiments have shown that the cycloid motions are distinctive features of an irregular grain immersed in a plasma.