Past research activities
# Basic processes in collisional complex plasmas:
Interactions and ion drag force
The focus was mainly on basic problems of plasma-particle interactions, such
as, electric potential distribution around the particle, inter-particle interactions,
and the ion drag force in highly collisional plasma. It was shown that the physical effect
associated with plasma absorption on the charged particle determined the long-range
"Coulomb-type" (~ 1/r) asymptote of the potential distribution (in absence of plasma
production and loss processes). The electric potential was represented as the sum of
short-range Yukawa-type and long-range Coulomb-type potential. However, in presence of
plasma production and loss processes the potential distribution became "double Yukawa-type".
Due to the effect of plasma absorption on the charged particle the magnitude of the ion drag
force (rate of momentum transfer from flowing ions to the charged particle) decreased and in
some parameter regime it became negative, i.e. "negative ion drag force". The important
implication of this effect can be the "superfluid-like" motion of the charged particle.
Publications:
* M. Chaudhuri, S. A. Khrapak and G. E. Morfill, Phys. Plasmas, 14, 022102 (2007).
* M. Chaudhuri, S. A. Khrapak and G. E. Morfill, Phys. Plasmas, 14, 054503 (2007).
* M. Chaudhuri, S. A. Khrapak and G. E. Morfill, Phys. Plasmas, 15, 053703 (2008).
* S. V. Vladimirov, S. A. Khrapak,M. Chaudhuri and G. E. Morfill,
Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 085001 (2008).
* M. Chaudhuri, S. A. Khrapak and G. E. Morfill, Ukr. J. Phys., 53, 1049 (2008).
* S. A. Khrapak, M. Chaudhuri, and G. E. Morfill,
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PLASMA SCIENCES, 37, 487 (2009).[REVIEW]
* M. Chaudhuri, S. A. Khrapak, R. Kompaneets, and G. E. Morfill,
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PLASMA SCIENCES, 38, 818 (2010).[REVIEW]
* M. Chaudhuri, S. A. Khrapak and G. E. Morfill, J. Plasma Phys, 76, 603 (2010).
* PhD thesis:"Electric potential and ion drag force in highly collisional complex plasma"
Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany (2008).
* Present research activities
# Strongly coupled complex plasma as a new type of soft
matter to explore fundamental physics (THEORY)
In complex plasmas the fundamental plasma-particle interactions
are extremely important. They determine the evolution of essentially
any characteristic phenomenon occurring in complex plasmas, such as
self-organization, formation of strongly coupled structures (solids
and liquids), phase transitions, propagation and instabilities of
low-frequency linear and nonlinear waves, transport, rheology
(micro-, electro- and magneto-) etc. The main focus is on charging,
inter-particle interaction (in particular attraction), low-frequency
waves, viscoelastic properties and phase diagram. All these features
are well inter-connected and are extremely important to understand
experimental observations both in ground based laboratory condition
and onboard International Space Station (ISS).
Publications:
* M. Chaudhuri, S. A. Khrapak and G. E. Morfill, Phys. Plasmas, 17, 034503 (2010).
* M. Chaudhuri, R. Kompaneets and G. E. Morfill, Phys. Plasmas, 17, 063705 (2010).
* D. Banerjee, M. S. Janaki, N. Chakrabarti, and M. Chaudhuri,
New Journal of Physics, 12, 123031 (2010).
* Manis Chaudhuri, Alexei V. Ivlev, Sergei A. Khrapak, Hubertus M. Thomas and Gregor E. Morfill,
SOFT MATTER, 7, 1287 (2011). [selected as a "Hot REVIEW Article" and journal "Cover page"]
# Exploring the properties of two-dimensional plasma crystal
(EXPERIMENT)
Complex plasma is the plasma state of soft matter which consists of
weakly ionized gas (plasma) and highly charged microparticles. The
microparticles are large enough to be visualized individually and
their dynamics can be observed withgreat accuracy using simple
video microscopic technique. These features allow to perform
experiments with high temporal and spatial resolutions (in terms of
the appropriate plasma frequency and particle separation).
I have performed experiments on two-dimensional plasma crystal in
GEC chamber using precise laser manipulation technique. The focus
of my research is to explore novel instabilities and transport
properties of two-dimensional plasma crystal.
Publications:
* Under preparation
# Exploring complex plasma research under microgravity condition
(EXPERIMENTAL IMAGE ANALYSIS WITH MODELLING)
In ground based experiments on earth the microparticles are usually suspended
against gravity in strong electric fields which creates asymmetries, stresses
and pseudo-equilibrium states with sufficient free energy to readily become
unstable. Under microgravity conditions the microparticles move into the bulk
of the plasma and investigations of the three dimensional strongly coupled
plasma under substantially stress-free conditions are possible. To enable such
studies, the "PKE-Nefedov" laboratory, a German-Russian cooperation project,
was launched and installed on the ISS. The next generation plasma lab "PK-3 Plus"
was sent to ISS in December 2005, and is currently operating there. These
laboratories investigate mainly the properties of liquid and crystalline plasmas
in a capacitively coupled rf discharge chamber. The focus of my research
is to analyze microgravity data associated with nonlinear coherent structures,
the dust cloud explosion, and phase transitions.
Publications:
* M. Chaudhuri, A. V. Ivlev, H. M. Thomas, G. E. Morfill,
A. M. Lipaev, V. I. Molotkov, O. F. Petrov and V. E. Fortov,
"Complex Plasma Research under Microgravity",
58th International Astronautical Congress (2007).
Copyright IAF/IAA.[CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS]
* M. Chaudhuri, H. M. Thomas, A. V. Ivlev, K. R. Sutterlin, G. E. Morfill,
A. M. Lipaev, V. I. Molotkov, O. F. Petrov and V. E. Fortov,
"Some recent results on Complex Plasma research under microgravity condition",
DYNAMICS DAYS, IX.3, 162-163, International Conference "Dynamics Days Europe",.
Gottingen, Germany (2009).[CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS]
# Basic interactions in Soft Condensed matter physics
(THEORY and SIMULATION (initial stage))
Exploring the phase behavior of different interacting particle systems
is an outstanding problem in material science and soft matter, with
applications to both basic and applied research. Significant progress
in this area has been achieved over the last decades using a variety
of theoretical, experimental, and computational methods considering
different model pair potentials (e.g. Hard sphere, Yukawa, Inverse power,
Lennard-Jones, exp-6, etc.), which approximate actual interactions in
different substances. These results are relevant to a wide range of
physical systems, from simple atomic gases, fluids and solids to trapped
non-neutral plasmas and new materials such as fullerenes and soft matter
(colloidal suspensions, granular media, polymers, surfactants, etc.).
The focus is to look on various properties of these potentials.
Publications:
* S. A. Khrapak, M. Chaudhuri, and G. E. Morfill, Phys. Rev. B, 82, 052101 (2010).
* Sergei A. Khrapak, Manis Chaudhuri, and Gregor E. Morfill, J. Chem. Phys., 134, 054120 (2011).
** The detailed future research interest is under construction..