Dusty plasmas - a new sandbox for plasma physics Dr. Edward Thomas, Associate Professor, Physics Department, Auburn University The past three decades has seen the maturity of the field of dusty plasmas. Historically, the study of dusty plasmas was the realm of space physics and astrophysics where the presence of dust is critical in understanding planetary ring systems and nebulae. The 1990's saw a renewed interest in dusty plasmas as the presence of charged microparticles in processing plasmas became a major contaminant in semiconductor production. This period also saw the establishment of university and national laboratory research programs that performed targeted investigations of the role of charged microparticles in plasmas. In these four component (ions, electrons, neutrals, and charged microparticles) plasma systems, ¡§clouds¡¨ of charged dust particles are suspended in laboratory plasmas. The presence of a third charged species, i.e., the dust, can significantly modify the plasma. This includes altering the charge distribution, density distribution, and potential profile of the surrounding plasma. Additionally, the presence of the dust changes the threshold for the onset of plasma instabilities and introduces new dust-driven instabilities. This talk will highlight recent results from the Auburn Dusty Plasma Laboratory and collaborative studies with the Max Planck Institute and the Naval Research Laboratory. Topics to be covered include microparticle charging, the use of microparticle transport measurements as a plasma diagnostic, and investigations of the dust cloud ¡V plasma boundary.