Magnetizing a complex plasma without a magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to simulate magnetic effects in complex plasmas by using gas rotation to induce a Coriolis force on dust particles, effectively mimicking a magnetic field without actual magnetization.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a novel technique to emulate magnetic fields in complex plasmas through gas rotation, avoiding the need for actual magnetic fields and affecting only the dust particles.

Findings

Normal mode measurements match theoretical predictions for a magnetized plasma.

The method effectively reproduces Lorentz-force-like effects in a non-magnetic setup.

The approach allows controlled study of magnetized plasma phenomena without magnetic fields.

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate a concept that mimics the magnetization of the heavy dust particles in a complex plasma while leaving the properties of the light species practically unaffected. It makes use of the frictional coupling between a complex plasma and the neutral gas, which allows to transfer angular momentum from a rotating gas column to a well-controlled rotation of the dust cloud. This induces a Coriolis force that acts exactly as the Lorentz force in a magnetic field. Experimental normal mode measurements for a small dust cluster with four particles show excellent agreement with theoretical predictions for a magnetized plasma.