Project Grant 2308948

This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Mathematical and Physical Sciences program ($300,909) supports collaborative research between Mississippi State University and Auburn University from June 2023 through May 2026. The award enables development of a novel optical trapping technique to precisely control and diagnose interactions between dust particles and plasma. Researchers will design an optical system to pin down and transport single dust grains in plasma, and employ multi-fold laser diagnostics to study physical and chemical processes at the particle-plasma interface. Insights gained from this research at the microscopic level could inform macroscopic applications like plasma fabrication processes. The single-particle diagnostic methods developed may translate to other dusty plasma environments. The collaboration leverages expertise in laser-based diagnostics at Mississippi State University and advanced dusty plasma systems at Auburn University to further fundamental understanding of particle-plasma dynamics with unprecedented precision. It also provides hands-on plasma science training for students from underrepresented communities.