Exploring fundamental physics with Complex plasmas - the plasma state of soft matter

by Dr Manis Chaudhuri (Max-Planck Institut fur extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany)

Friday 30 Nov 2012, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Rome

Aula Corbino (Dipartimento di Fisica - Ed. E. Fermi)

Complex plasma is a mixture of ions, electrons, highly charged micron-size solid particles and neutral gas. In analogy with soft matter systems, the molecular components in complex plasmas (electrons and ions) are gaseous, whereas supramolecular component (microparticles) can form solid, liquid and gaseous states depending on the relative strengths of interparticle interactions. Complex plasma shares complimentary features with colloids. In colloids the solid particles suspend in viscous medium. The presence of viscous solvent makes the colloidal suspension perfectly thermalized and the system to be in perfect equilibrium. However, the microparticles exhibit fully damped Brownian dynamics with solvent mediated hydrodynamic interactions. In this presentation I shall give an overview of complex plasma research activities at Max-Planck Institute for ! Extraterrestrial physics with a focus on my present research results.