COMPACT: Project Status and Research Data Managment

Complex, or dusty, plasmas consist of micrometer-sized grains that are injected into a low-temperature noble gas discharge. The grains become charged and interact with each other via a screened Coulomb potential. On ground, gravity compresses the system and prevents the formation of larger, three-dimensional particle clouds. The future complex plasma facility COMPACT will allow the investigation of large three-dimensional complex plasmas under microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station (ISS). COMPACT is a project with international scientific contributions, funded by space agencies (DLR, NASA). The industry phase B is currently underway and will be finished in 2025. Data generated by experiments on the ISS are of significant importance, as repeating an experiment can be extremely challenging and time-consuming. Therefore, it is crucial to design data management and handling strategies at an early stage to ensure efficient and reliable data processing. We present the objectives of COMPACT, the project status, and first concepts for the handling of research data acquired with COMPACT following the FAIR principles. This work is funded by DLR/BMWi (FKZ 50WM2161).