Spotlight on Dusty (or Complex) Plasmas
Résumé
In addition to electrons, ions, atoms, and molecules, plasmas very often contain solid dust particles with sizes ranging from a few nanometers to centimeters. The presence of this additional species is at the origin of a wide variety of new plasma phenomena. Those plasmas containing dust particles constitute a highly interdisciplinary field of research called dusty (or complex) plasmas. These media are encountered in many environments such as astrophysics, industrial processes, and fusion devices. Formation of dust particles can be easily achieved in plasma systems due to the presence of reactive gases or to material sputtering. These dust particles acquire an electric charge inducing a strong modification of the surrounding plasma properties. Dust dynamics is then governed by several forces that define the dust cloud shape and behavior. This cloud is a place where waves and instabilities can easily take place. Self-organization of the dust particles can also be observed, designing Coulomb crystals. In this lecture, we will review some of these basic features and give experimental examples.