title: Decharging of complex plasmas: first kinetic observations.
abstract: The first experiment on the decharging of a complex plasma in microgravity conditions was conducted. After switching off the rf power, in the afterglow plasma, ions and electrons rapidly recombine and leave a cloud of charged microparticles. Because of microgravity, the particles remain suspended in the experimental chamber for a sufficiently long time, allowing precise measurements of the rest particle charge. A simple theoretical model for the decharging is proposed which agrees quite well with the experiment results and predicts the rest charge at lower gas pressures.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Plasma Science, Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, D-85740 Garching, Germany.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ivlev
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kretschmer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuzic
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Morfill
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rothermel
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Fortov
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Molotkov
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Nefedov
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lipaev
authors.forename: O F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.forename: Yu M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Baturin
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goree