Summary of initial results from the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) device

Dusty (or complex) plasmas are four-component plasma systems consisting of electrons, ions, neutral atoms and charged, solid particulates. These particulates, i.e., the ``dust,'' become charged through interactions with the surrounding plasma particles and are therefore fully coupled to the background. The study of dusty plasmas began with astrophysical studies and has developed into a distinct area of plasma science with contributions to industrial, space, and fundamental plasma science. However, the vast majority of the laboratory studies are performed without the presence of a magnetic field. This is because, compared to the masses of the electrons and ions, the dust particles are significantly more massive and therefore the charge-to-mass ratio of the dust is very small. As a result, large (B $>$ 1 T) magnetic fields are required to achieve conditions in which the dynamics of electrons, ions, and dust particles are dominated by the magnetic field. This presentation will provide a brief description of the design of the large bore (50 cm diameter x 158 cm long), multi-configuration, 4-Tesla class, superconducting magnet and integrated plasma chamber optimized for the study of dusty plasmas at high magnetic field - the MDPX device [1]. The presentation will then focus on initial results of measurements made using MDPX - including observations of a new type of imposed ordered structures formed by the dust particles in a magnetized plasma [2], E x B driven flows of the particles, and observations of instabilities. This work is a collaboration of the author with Uwe Konopka (Auburn), Robert L. Merlino (Univ. of Iowa), Marlene Rosenberg (UCSD), and the MDPX team at Auburn University.\\[4pt] [1] E. Thomas, et. al, J. Plasma Phys., 81, 345810206 (2015).\\[0pt] [2] E. Thomas Jr, Phys. Plasmas, 22, 030701 (2015).