Pioneering Dusty Plasma Researcher To Speak At Baylor

by Judy Long

Prominent space physicist Asoka Mendis will speak on "Dusty Plasmas: A New Interdisciplinary Frontier" at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in room 131 of the Marrs McLean Science Building on the Baylor University campus. The lecture is the third in the 2003 Fall Colloquium Series, sponsored by Dr. Truell Hyde, vice provost for research.
Mendis, a solar system and cometary physicist and professor emeritus at the University of California at San Diego's School of Engineering, pioneered the research of dusty plasma, ushering it into the mainstream of science.
Dusty plasmas are comprised of particles trapped in ionized gases. Hyde said studying them provides a greater understanding of the interactions of small particles and is becoming increasingly important in many areas of physics, chemistry and colloidal systems.
"Additionally, as feature size in the semiconductor industry continues to decrease, complex plasmas and particle coagulation is of great importance in both contamination problems in semiconductor fabrication, next-generation semiconductor processing techniques and nanofabrication," he added.
The Vice Provost for Research 2003 Fall Colloquium Series hosts researchers from an array of fields to visit the Baylor University campus. For more information, call (254) 710-3763 or visit Research at Baylor.