New Dust Charge Measurement Techniques for Dusty Plasmas in a Magnetic Field

Dusty plasmas consist of components typically found in a plasma (electrons, ions and neutral particles) as well as micrometer sized dust particles. The structural and dynamic properties of a dusty plasma system are governed by the dust particle charging state. As such the knowledge of the exact charging state of the individual dust particles is very important. Theories such as OML and ABR theories as well as modified versions of these have been used to determine dust charge value. Some recent experiments to determine particle charge indicate differences from theoretical models in the presence of a magnetic field. A molecular dynamic simulation has been created to study particle dynamics in the presence of a magnetic field. In a flowing system, a dust particle density gradient can build up due to the Lorentz force (similarly to the classical Hall effect) and this gradient can be used to determine the particle charge in multiple coupling regimes. This is a new method for determining dust charge value which will be useful in many future experiments.