Comprehensive experimental study of heartbeat oscillations observed under microgravity conditions in the PK-3 Plus laboratory on board the International Space Station
Abstract
Heartbeat oscillations in complex plasmas with a broad range of fundamental frequencies are observed and studied. The experiments are performed with monodisperse microparticles of different diameters in argon as well as in neon plasmas. The oscillation frequency increases with increasing rf power and neutral gas pressure. At the lower frequencies, oscillations are strongly nonlinear. The microparticle pulsations, the variation of the electrical discharge parameters and the spatially resolved changes in the plasma glow are proven to be strongly correlated. Heartbeat oscillation dynamics is associated with global confinement modes.
- Publication:
-
Physics of Plasmas
- Pub Date:
- May 2011
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2011PhPl...18e3701H
- Keywords:
-
- argon;
- dusty plasmas;
- glow discharges;
- neon;
- plasma instability;
- plasma nonlinear processes;
- plasma oscillations;
- plasma pressure;
- space research;
- zero gravity experiments;
- 52.80.Hc;
- 52.35.Fp;
- 52.35.Qz;
- 52.27.Lw;
- 52.35.Mw;
- Glow;
- corona;
- Electrostatic waves and oscillations;
- Microinstabilities;
- Dusty or complex plasmas;
- plasma crystals;
- Nonlinear phenomena: waves wave propagation and other interactions