Formation of droplets in weightless complex plasmas

Abstract Microparticles immersed in a low‐temperature plasma acquire strong negative charges and thus repel each other. Nevertheless, effective attraction between the microparticles such complex can occur due to interplay fluxes of ions microparticles. Here, we report observation droplets formed during parabolic flight, explain their formation terms ion drag force that sustains droplet. We have found good agreement experimentally determined droplet size its theoretical estimate using mechanism. Lower values electron temperature result better agreement, as is consistent with pulsed mechanism discharge used experimentally.