Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2026

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas
Published on: April 3, 2018
Levitation of cylindrical particles in the sheath of an rf plasma
B M Annaratone1, A G Khrapak, A V Ivlev
1Max-Planck Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, D-85740 Garching, Germany.
Abstract:
Microrods were levitated in the collisional sheath of a rf plasma. Rods below a critical length settle vertically, parallel to the electric field, while longer rods float horizontally. Usually rods with other inclinations spin about a vertical axis. These experimental features fit well with a model that includes a theoretical profile for the sheath, a plasma model for the screening length, which increases going deeper in the sheath, and a plasma theory for the charging of the rod's elements. Despite the agreement this paper highlights the need for a better understanding of the charging mechanism of bodies in sheaths and of the transition region in collisional sheaths.
Related Concept Videos
Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Principle
The ions and electrons produced interact with the fluctuating magnetic field created by a water-cooled...
Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS): Overview
Standing Waves in a Cavity
Plane Electromagnetic Waves I
The EM field is assumed to be a...
Van de Graaff Generator
Van de Graaff uses both smooth and pointed surfaces, conductors, and insulators to generate large static charges and, hence, large voltages. A substantial excess charge can be deposited on the sphere because it moves...
Gauss's Law: Cylindrical Symmetry

