Toroidal dust motion in magnetized plasmas

Abstract

In a magnetized anodic plasma, dust particles can be confined in a torus-shaped cloud with a distinct dust-free region (void) in its center. The formation of these clouds and their dynamical behavior are experimentally studied with a new observation geometry. The particles rotate about the major axis of the torus. A refined model for the description of the particle dynamics is presented that accounts for inertia and many-body effects.