title: Dust Coulomb balls: three-dimensional plasma crystals.
abstract: First experimental investigations of spherical three-dimensional plasma crystals consisting of hundreds or thousands of micrometer-sized polymer particles suspended in a radio-frequency gas discharge are described. These "Coulomb balls" are not subject to the formation of dust-free regions (voids) and have an unusual structure of nested crystalline shells. While small systems are in a solid phase, large systems show melting effects.
authors.affiliation: IEAP, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, D-24098 Kiel, Germany. arp@physik.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arp
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piel
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melzer