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Future Directions
Can we make the dust lighter and more reflective? Perhaps buckeyballs with chelated sodium atoms. Or even reflective ions - e.g., transition metal ions. This is fundamental research into scattering cross sections.
Is there an optimum size dust grain? We have used 3micron SiO2, and Xerox toner. Yokota used 0.5 micron Al dust.
What are the differences between spinning the magnet and applying a potential? Is there an optimum combination?
Notes:
Assuming that we overcome the hurdle of levitating dust, several future directions might include making the dust more reflective. One interesting material that falls into the submicron size range that Yokota explored would be to use buckeyballs, 60-carbon spheres with the ability to hold an atom in the middle. A sodium or transition-metal atom may be especially effective at reflecting light.
We also need to explore the optimum dust grain size, as well as the different effects of inductive and DC electric fields. I think it is safe to say that we will undoubtedly learn a great deal about the feasibility of this approach through subsequent basic physics experiments.