Formation and behaviour of dust particle clouds in a radio-frequency discharge: results in the laboratory and under microgravity conditions

In this paper we report the first observation on submicron dust particle clouds grown in a radio-frequency sputtering discharge under microgravity conditions. These results have been obtained in the PKE-Nefedov (Plasma Kristall Experiment) chamber in the framework of a French-German-Russian programme. A dust-free region, usually called the 'void', is observed in the laboratory and under microgravity conditions even with submicron particles. In this region, successive generations of particles can be grown, leading to the coexistence of particles with various sizes. Each generation of particles constitutes a cloud separated from the others by a definite sheath. Dynamics of these clouds have been investigated showing vortex-like motions or independent behaviour of small heaps of particles, emphasizing both attractive and repulsive effects between dust clouds. As these particles drastically influence the plasma properties.