Dusty Plasmas

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A plasma is a ionized gas where free electrons and ions are constantly bumping into each other. The plasma state of matter makes up over 99% of the visible universe. When dust particles and grains are introduced into a plasma, the electrons will often bind to the particles and drastically alter the physics and dynamics of the system. For a dense system of particles in a weakly-ionized plasma, the electrostatic force between the particles is dominant, so that the particles can form crystalline structures: a model "playground" for studying lattice dynamics in condensed matter. In our lab we are using dusty plasmas to create model amorphous, glassy structures, and to study their dynamics. This provides a visible window into the dynamics of real glassy materials, whose ultra-low temperature properties remain mysterious and conentious to this day. Our setup involves a confined dusty plasma illuminated by a sheet of laser light (left). The resulting structure of the lattice determined by imaging scattered laser from above (right).