Dust diagnostics on an inertial electrostatic confinement discharge

Micron size dust particles were used to diagnose the direction of ion flow in an inertial electrostatic confinement discharge. Particles were dropped onto a one-dimensional device and were shown to deflect away from the center. The deflection of the dust particles was then accounted for by ion drag. It is concluded that ions are created at the cathode center and flow outwards. This supports recent work that has reached the same conclusion using Doppler spectroscopy. Moreover, estimates of the ion density from the deflection of dust particles was in agreement with Langmuir probe measurements.