Over the past 5 years, two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques [E. Thomas, Jr., Phys. Plasmas 6, 2672 (1999)] have been used to obtain detailed measurements of microparticle transport in dusty plasmas. This Letter reports on an extension of these techniques to a three-dimensional velocity vector measurement approach using stereoscopic PIV. Initial measurements using the stereoscopic PIV diagnostic are presented.

Melting of a two-dimensional plasma crystal occurring due to a mode-coupling instability is studied using particle tracking and particle image velocimetry techniques. By combining these techniques, it is possible to identify the location of a propagating melting front and find a characteristic scale length for the temperature gradient across the front. It is found that the measurements of heat transport are consistent with a simple two-dimensional model allowing us to estimate the thermal diffusivity. The measured values for the thermal diffusivity are consistent with previously measured values.

In this study, the first measurement of the dispersion relationship for a vertically propagating (i.e., parallel to gravity), driven dust acoustic wave is reported. Finite dust temperature effects were observed in the dispersion relation of the dust acoustic wave.

Measurements of the kinetic velocity space distribution function of 3.11μm diam melamine and 1.51μm diam silica particles in an argon dc glow discharge dusty plasma are made through the use of stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. These distribution functions are then used to determine the kinetic temperature of the dust component. These measurements show that the kinetic temperature of the dust component is significantly larger than the other plasma components (electrons, ions, and background neutrals).

Over the past twelve years, two-dimensional and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques have been used to obtain detailed measurements of the thermal and transport properties of the microparticle component of dusty plasma systems. This letter reports on an extension of these techniques to obtain a volumetric, three-dimensional velocity vector measurement using tomographic PIV. Initial measurements using the tomographic PIV diagnostic are presented.