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Experiment OverviewInformation provided courtesy of the Erasmus Experiment Archive.
Brief Summary
Plasma crystals are a new kind of matter, rediscovered in 1994. They form under certain conditions in a complex (dusty) plasma. There, the electrically charged dust particles arrange in a regular macroscopic crystal lattice. This structure allows for an investigation of the properties of condensed matter on the kinetic level. This means that basic processes, such as melting, can be followed by observing the motion of individual particles. PK-3 will give investigators a better understanding of plasma in space and will determine the critical points for the plasma.
Principal Investigator(s)
Developer(s)
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, , Germany
Kayser Threde, Munich, , Germany
European Space Agency (ESA)
Sponsoring OrganizationInformation Pending
Research BenefitsInformation Pending
ISS Expedition Duration:April 2006 - April 2007
Expeditions Assigned13,14
Previous ISS MissionsThe PKE Nefedov mission was a less sophisticated version of this mission, studying complex plasmas in space from 2001 to 2005. The PK-3 mission has a new and improved design, based on drawbacks noted in the first experiment.
Experiment Description
Research Overview
- Gravity plays an important role for the structure of plasma crystals. In microgravity large 3-dimensional plasma crystals can be grown. Plasma is the most ubiquitous state of matter in our universe, so understanding it is critical for space exploration. PK-3 will further the understanding of the phenomenon of plasma.
- PK-3 will consist of a series of tests in which the state of plasma will be studied, continuing from previous plasma crystal experiments. The critical points (temperature and pressure at which the liquid and gaseous phases of a substance become identical) of plasma will be studied, as well.
- This investigation will provide a better understanding of the environment of space. With a better understanding of extraterrestrial plasma comes a better understanding of plasma on Earth.
PK-3 Plus is a symmetrical driven radio-frequency plasma discharge with special features for the investigation of complex plasmas under microgravity conditions. As a second generation laboratory, PK-3 Plus provides major new possibilities for these investigations due to its design improvements relative to the first long-term experiment PKE-Nefedov. The PK-3 Plus apparatus allows investigations at neutral gas pressures between 0.05 - 2.5 millibar and radio frequency (rf) power of 0.01 - 1 W. The complex plasma can consist of monodisperse particles in a size range from 1 - 20 micrometers. Up to six particle sizes can be added to the experimental volume. It is possible to change the number of particles, the composition of particles, the plasma conditions and the neutral gas pressure during one experiment. The particle cloud can be excited by an electrical low frequency signal on the electrodes (0.1 - 100 Hz at a maximum amplitude of 50 V) or by a low frequency modulation of the rf-amplitude in different wave forms (sinusoidal, square, pulse, etc.).
The PK-3 investigation has two major pieces of equipment: the experimental block or plasma chamber, and the telescience system (TS). The research will be performed on the ISS inside the plasma chamber. The chamber is attached via a tube to the space environment to produce the vacuum conditions needed. The chamber can produce pressures less than 10-5 millibar.
The TS is the computer in which the chamber conditions can be altered and the storage unit for the data collected. This chamber will have state of the art hardware and software, and will provide better diagnostics than previous hardware. The chamber has an automatic mode, which will be run twice, measuring such parameters as particle size, gases present, pressures, densities, and plasma power. The third and final time the equipment is run will be an attempt to find different critical points. In this run, the plasma will be manually controlled by the cosmonaut to first be homogeneously distributed, then to be in a liquid phase, and then to have different particle densities predetermined by the investigators.
Applications
Space Applications
Learning more about the space environment will help us to better explore it. We can work safer, understand better, and ultimately travel further if we know more about the plasmas of space.
Earth ApplicationsPlasma studies in outer space could provide answers to our questions about terrestrial plasmas such as lightning.
Operations
Operational Requirements
The experiment will have 3 or more runs (sessions) to meet the requirements of the investigator. There are two modes, automatic and manual, for this investigation. During the manual mode, crew time will be required to complete the investigation. The chamber records the parameters necessary to achieve the critical points, which will be sent back to Earth. Also to be returned are the videos of the chamber from its cameras, and the data recorded onto the TS hard disks.
Operational ProtocolsOn three consecutive days, the experiment will be run. The first two days will be on automatic, as mentioned above, and the last day will be manual operations. On automatic days, the machine can be left alone to run, passively taking measurements of the plasma behaviors in microspace. On the manual day, there will be a cosmonaut present, adjusting settings to achieve the required states of the plasma. The experiment is expected to take approximately 90 minutes each day.
Results/More Information
Results Publications
Sutterlin KR, Wysocki A, Ivlev AV, Rath C, Thomas HM, Rubin-Zuzic M, Goedheer WJ, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF, Morfill GE, Lowen H. Dynamics of Lane Formation in Driven Binary Complex Plasmas. Physical Review Letters. 2009 February; 102(8): 085003. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.085003.
Wysocki A, Rath C, Ivlev AV, Sutterlin KR, Thomas HM, Khrapak SA, Zhdanov SK, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF, Lowen H, Morfill GE. Kinetics of Fluid Demixing in Complex Plasmas: Role of Two-Scale Interactions. Physical Review Letters. 2010 July; 105(4): 045001. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.045001.
Zhukhovitskii DI, Fortov VE, Molotkov VI, Lipaev AM, Naumkin VN, Thomas HM, Ivlev AV, Schwabe M, Morfill GE. Nonviscous motion of a slow particle in a dust crystal under microgravity conditions. Physical Review E. 2012; 86(1-2): 016401. PMID: 23005544.
Du C, Sutterlin KR, Jiang K, Rath C, Ivlev AV, Khrapak SA, Schwabe M, Thomas HM, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF, Malentschenko Y, Yurtschichin F, Lonchakov YV, Morfill GE. Experimental investigation on lane formation in complex plasmas under microgravity conditions. New Journal of Physics. 2012 July 31; 14(7): 073058. DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/14/7/073058.
Schwabe M, Zhdanov SK, Thomas HM, Ivlev AV, Rubin-Zuzic M, Morfill GE, Molotkov VI, Lipaev AM, Fortov VE, Reiter T. Nonlinear waves externally excited in a complex plasma under microgravity conditions. New Journal of Physics. 2008 March 27; 10(3): 033037. DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/10/3/033037.
Zhdanov SK, Schwabe M, Heidemann RJ, Sutterlin KR, Thomas HM, Rubin-Zuzic M, Rothermel H, Hagl T, Ivlev AV, Morfill GE, Molotkov VI, Lipaev AM, Petrov OF, Fortov VE, Reiter T. Auto-oscillations in complex plasmas. New Journal of Physics. 2010 April 1; 12(4): 043006. DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/12/4/043006.
Totsuji H, Takahashi K, Adachi S, Hayashi Y, Takayanagi M. Strongly Coupled Plasmas under Microgravity. Japan Society of Microgravity Application. 2011; 28(2): s27-s30. [8th Japan-China-Korea Workshop on Microgravity Sciences for Asian Microgravity Pre-Symposium]
Ivlev AV, Brandt PC, Morfill GE, Rath C, Thomas HM, Joyce G, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF. Electrorheological Complex Plasmas. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 2010 April; 38(4): 733-740. DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2009.2037716.
Sutterlin KR, Thomas HM, Ivlev AV, Morfill GE, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF, Wysocki A, Lowen H. Lane Formation in Driven Binary Complex Plasmas on the International Space Station. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 2010 April; 38(4): 861-868. DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2009.2035504.
Kretschmer M, Konopka U, Zhdanov SK, Thomas HM, Morfill GE, Fortov VE, Molotkov VI, Lipaev AM, Petrov OF. Particles Inside the Void of a Complex Plasma. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 2011 November; 39(11): 2758-2759. DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2011.2135383.
Fortov VE, Morfill GE. Strongly coupled dusty plasmas on ISS: experimental results and theoretical explanation. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. 2012 12/01/2012; 54(12): 124040. DOI: 10.1088/0741-3335/54/12/124040.
Klumov BA, Huber P, Vladimirov S, Thomas HM, Ivlev AV, Morfill GE, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI. Structural properties of 3D complex plasmas: experiments versus simulations. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. 2009 December 1; 51(12): 124028. DOI: 10.1088/0741-3335/51/12/124028.
Schwabe M, Jiang K, Zhdanov SK, Hagl T, Huber P, Ivlev AV, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Naumkin VN, Sutterlin KR, Thomas HM, Fortov VE, Morfill GE, Skvortsov A, Volkov S. Direct measurement of the speed of sound in a complex plasma under microgravity conditions. EPL (Europhysics Letters). 2011 December; 96(5): 55001. DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/96/55001.
Ivlev AV, Zhdanov SK, Thomas HM, Morfill GE. Fluid phase separation in binary complex plasmas. EPL (Europhysics Letters). 2009 February; 85(4): 45001. DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/85/45001.
Jiang K, Nosenko V, LI YF, Schwabe M, Konopka U, Ivlev AV, Fortov VE, Molotkov VI, Lipaev AM, Petrov OF, Turin MV, Thomas HM, Morfill GE. Mach cones in a three-dimensional complex plasma. EPL (Europhysics Letters). 2009 February; 85(4): 45002. DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/85/45002.
Klumov BA, Joyce G, Rath C, Huber P, Thomas HM, Morfill GE, Molotkov VI, Fortov VE. Structural properties of 3D complex plasmas under microgravity conditions. EPL (Europhysics Letters). 2010 October; 92(1): 15003. DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/92/15003.
Liu B, Goree J, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF, Morfill GE, Thomas HM, Ivlev AV. Dusty plasma diagnostics methods for charge, electron temperature, and ion density. Physics of Plasmas. 2010; 17(5): 053701. DOI: 10.1063/1.3400225.
Liu B, Goree J, Fortov VE, Lipaev AM, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF, Morfill GE, Thomas HM, Rothermel H, Ivlev AV. Transverse oscillations in a single-layer dusty plasma under microgravity. Physics of Plasmas. 2009; 16(8): 083703. DOI: 10.1063/1.3204638.
Worner L, Nosenko V, Ivlev AV, Zhdanov SK, Thomas HM, Morfill GE, Kroll M, Schablinski J, Block D. Effect of rotating electric field on 3D complex (dusty) plasma. Physics of Plasmas. 2011; 18(6): 063706. DOI: 10.1063/1.3601341.
Heidemann RJ, Couëdel L, Zhdanov SK, Sutterlin KR, Schwabe M, Thomas HM, Ivlev AV, Hagl T, Morfill GE, Fortov VE, Molotkov VI, Petrov OF, Lipaev AM, Tokarev VI, Reiter T, Vinogradov PV. Comprehensive experimental study of heartbeat oscillations observed under microgravity conditions in the PK-3 Plus laboratory on board the International Space Station. Physics of Plasmas. 2011 May 16; 18: 053701. DOI: 10.1063/1.3574905.
Takahashi K, Thomas HM, Morfill GE, Ivlev AV, Hayashi Y, Adachi S. Diagnosis in Complex Plasmas for Microgravity Experiments (PK-3 plus). MULTIFACETS OF DUSTY PLASMAS: Fifth International Conference on the Physics of Dusty Plasmas, Ponta Degada, Azores (Portugal); 2008 May 18-23 329-330.
Thomas HM, Morfill GE, Ivlev AV, Hagl T, Rothermel H, Khrapak SA, Sutterlin KR, Rubin-Zuzic M, Schwabe M, Zhdanov SK, Rath C, Fortov VE, Molotkov VI, Lipaev AM, Petrov OF, Tokarev VI, Malenchenko YI, Turin MV, Vinogradov PV, Yurchikhin FN, Krikalev SK, Reiter T. New Directions of Research in Complex Plasmas on the International Space Station. MULTIFACETS OF DUSTY PLASMAS: Fifth International Conference on the Physics of Dusty Plasmas, Ponta Degada, Azores (Portugal); 2008 May 18-23 41-44.
Ground Based Results Publications
ISS Patents
Related Publications
Khrapak SA, Klumov BA, Huber P, Molotkov VI, Lipaev AM, Naumkin VN, Thomas HM, Ivlev AV, Morfill GE, Petrov OF, Fortov VE, Malentschenko Y, Volkov S. Freezing and Melting of 3D Complex Plasma Structures under Microgravity Conditions Driven by Neutral Gas Pressure Manipulation. Physical Review Letters. 2011 May; 106(20): 205001. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.205001.
Morfill GE, Thomas HM. The Physics of Complex Plasmas and the Microgravity Programme on Plasma Crystal (PK) Research. 55th International Astronautical Congress, Vancouver, Canada; 2004
Samsonov D, Zhdanov SK, Quinn RA, Popel SI, Morfill GE. Shock Melting of a Two-Dimensional Complex (Dusty) Plasma. Physical Review Letters. 2004; 92: 255004.
Yaroshenko VV, Thoma MH, Thomas HM, Morfill GE. Generation of a Double Layer at the Interface of Strongly Coupled Complex Plasmas. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 2010 Apr 9; 38(4): 869-873. DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2009.2036852.
Jiang K, Du C, Sutterlin KR, Ivlev AV, Morfill GE. Lane formation in binary complex plasmas: Role of non-additive interactions and initial configurations. EPL (Europhysics Letters). 2011 December; 92(6): 65002. DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/92/65002.
Jiang K, Hou LJ, Ivlev AV, LI YF, Du C, Thomas HM, Morfill GE, Sutterlin KR. Initial stages in phase separation of binary complex plasmas: Numerical experiments. EPL (Europhysics Letters). 2011 March; 93(5): 55001. DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/93/55001.
Morfill GE, Ivlev AV, Thomas HM. Complex (dusty) plasmas—kinetic studies of strong coupling phenomena. Physics of Plasmas. 2012; 19(5): 055402. DOI: 10.1063/1.4717979.
Chaudhuri M, Ivlev AV, Khrapak SA, Thomas HM, Morfill GE. Complex plasma—the plasma state of soft matter. Soft Matter. 2011; 7(4): 1287-1298. DOI: 10.1039/c0sm00813c.
Related Websites
Imagery
Cosmonaut Tokarev during ISS expedition 12 with the PK-3 hardware. Image courtesy of Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany.+ View Larger Image
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