Growth of nanoparticles in a strongly magnetized plasma

This presentation reports on the growth of nanoparticles in the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) device. Two methods of production are investigated: (i) radio-frequency (rf) plasmas are produced in reactive gases (methane and acetylene) mixed with argon or hydrogen and (ii) nanoparticles are grown by sputtering the rf electrode (made of carbon, aluminium, copper, etc). The growth of nanoparticles is followed by monitoring discharge parameters such as the powered electrode self bias and the rf current harmonic content. The dynamics of the growing dust particle cloud is investigated by recording the scattered light of a laser sheath with a high speed video camera. The size distribution and the internal structure of the produced nanoparticles are studied ex-situ using scanning and transmission electron microscopes. The influence of the strength of the magnetic field is explored and the changes in NP growth dynamics and transport are discussed.