Structure Controls of Fine-Particle Clouds in DC Discharge Plasmas

Abstract

As a series of the experiments on fine-particle clouds in plasmas, this chapter describes various kinds of experiments on structure controls of the fine-particle clouds in low-pressure dc discharge plasmas. The chapter presents a review of essential points of the results on vertical and radial profiles, phase transition, azimuthal votices and rotations, vertical spread of particle clouds, and vertical strings of periodic alignment of particles. The chapter also discusses active structure controls of the fine-particle clouds in plasmas, which are in liquid or in solid (Coulomb lattice) state, under several different dc situations.