Statistics for motion of microparticles in a plasma

I report experimental and numerical studies of microparticle motion in a dusty plasma. These microparticles are negatively charged and are levitated in a plasma consisting of electrons, ions and neutral gas atoms. The microparticles repel each other, and are confined by the electric fields in the plasma. The neutral gas damps the microparticle motion, and also exerts random forces on them. I investigate and characterize microparticle motion. In order to do this, I study velocity distributions of microparticles and correlations of their motion. To perform such a study, I develop new experimental and analysis techniques. My thesis consists of four separate projects. In the first project, the battle between deterministic and random motion of microparticles is investigated. Two particle velocity distributions and correlations have previously studied only in theory. I performed an experiment with a very simple one dimensional (1D) system of two microparticles in a plasma. My study of velocity correlations involves just two microparticles which is the simplest system that allows interactions. A study of such a simple system provides insight into the motions of the microparticles. It allowed for the experimental measurement of two-particle distributions and correlations. For such a system, it is shown that the motion of the microparticles is dominated by deterministic or oscillatory effects. In the second project, two experiments with just two microparticles are performed to isolate the effects of ion wakes. The two experiments differ in the alignment of the two microparticles: they are aligned either perpendicular or parallel to the ion flow. To have different alignments, the sheath is shaped differently in the two experiments. I demonstrate that microparticle motion is more correlated when they are aligned along the ion flow, rather than perpendicular to the ion flow.