GSI-Kolloquium:"Plasma Physics under Microgravity"

Complex or dusty plasmas are weakly-ionized, low-temperature and low-pressure plasmas containing micron-sized particles, e.g. dust grains. These plasmas belong to the class of strongly-coupled plasmas since the microparticles are highly charged due to electron collection. Since the microparticles can be observed directly in real time, complex plasmas serve as a model for other strongly-coupled many-body systems in plasma , fluid, solid state, or nuclear physics. For example, phase transitions from liquid to crystalline structures, the so-called plasma crystal, can be studied on the microscopic and kinetic level. Since gravity has a strong influence on the microparticles, it is desirable to perform complex plasma experiments under microgravity conditions. In the present talk an introduction to complex plasmas will be given. Afterwards experiments in the laboratory as well as under microgravity in parabolic flights and on board the ISS will be discussed. In particular the ISS experiment facility PK-4 will be introduced.