Experimental study of discharge current oscillations with dust particles

We present a detailed experimental study of discharge current oscillations in a planar cathode plasma with poly-dispersed alumina dust particles. The dominant frequency of oscillation depends on the discharge voltage, operating pressure, and amount of dust particles placed on the cathode. The power-law variation in the dominant frequency with different external operating parameters is presented. Experimental observations suggest that the dominant mechanism behind the generation of these oscillations is the cathode spot injection of sub-micron-sized dust particles. The cathode spots also aid in the generation of fine dust particles. The threshold limit on dust particle density dispersed on the cathode suggests that below the threshold limit, the fine particles depleting the electrons play an important role and lead to the generation of self-excited oscillations. Operating above the threshold limit, a stable dust cloud was observed together with the suppression of self-excited oscillations.