The PK-4 project: Complex plasma experiments in a dc discharge

Summary form only given. PK-4 is an experiment facility for investigating complex (dusty) plasmas in a dc discharge under microgravity conditions onboard the ISS [Fortov, V., et al., 2005; Thoma, M.H., et al., 2007]. It will be the successor of the ISS experiments PKE-Nefedov and PK-3 Plus designed and operated by the Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) and the Joint Institute for High Temperatures (JIHT) in Moscow. The launch of PK-4 is scheduled for 2014 followed by an operation phase of several years on the ISS. In addition laboratory experiments on ground as well as parabolic flight experiments in reduced gravity have been performed with various PK-4 set-ups at MPE and JIHT since 2002. In the present talk the PK-4 project will be introduced and recent experiments with PK-4 will be discussed. Among those are electrorheological systems [Ivlev, A.V., et al., 2011], particle growth [Worner, L., et al., 2012], and grain charging [Kharpak, S.A., et al., 2012].