Abstract
Abstract In this work, the dynamic behaviour of micron‐sized dust particles suspended in the glow discharge stratum at low pressure in the crossed magnetic and electric fields was experimentally studied. The observations showed that the dust particles move in the direction opposite to the ExB drift with increasing magnetic field induction. When the magnetic field induction reaches a threshold point (B > 10 mT), the dust particles begin to rotate, forming pair of counter‐rotating vortex in the horizontal plane. It was also found that the shape of the dust structures changes from a disk shape to an ellipsoid shape. The dynamic behaviour of the dust vortices was analysed using the PIV (particle image velocimetry) method. The quantitative explanation of the generation of the co‐vortex rotation observed in the experiment was explained on the basis of the charge gradient of the dust particles, which was orthogonal to the ion drag force.