Scientific basis for future experiments using the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX)

For over a decade, it has been postulated that the addition of a magnetic field can have a profound influence on the properties of a complex/dusty plasma. The Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) device at Auburn University is the most recent facility dedicated to studying the properties of dusty plasmas at high magnetic field (B ≥ 1 T). The MDPX device is a flexible, high magnetic field research instrument with a mission to serve as an open access, multi-user facility for the dusty plasma and basic plasma research communities. Experiments on the MDPX device have given us new insights into particle charging, self- and imposed-ordering, particle transport, particle growth, and plasma and dust instabilities in strongly magnetized plasmas. This presentation will use these observations to motivate the next generation of experiments on the MDPX device.