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Optical tweezers in a dusty universe
The European Physical Journal Plus2021
12 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 35
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Alessandro Magazzù,
Antonino Foti,
Antonino Foti,
Antonino Foti,
P. Polimeno,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
P. G. Gucciardi,
David Bronte Ciriza,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Antonino Foti,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Antonino Foti,
Maria Antonia Iatı̀,
David Bronte Ciriza,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
Antonino Foti,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
M. G. Donato,
Rosalba Saija,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
Antonino Foti,
Antonino Foti,
Antonino Foti,
David Bronte Ciriza,
Onofrio M. Maragò
M. G. Donato,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
M. G. Donato,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Antonino Foti,
P. G. Gucciardi,
L. Folco,
David Bronte Ciriza,
Alessandro Magazzù,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
P. G. Gucciardi,
David Bronte Ciriza,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
Antonino Foti,
Antonino Foti,
M. G. Donato,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
M. G. Donato,
Rosalba Saija,
M. G. Donato,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
M. G. Donato,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Antonino Foti,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Maria Antonia Iatı̀,
M. G. Donato,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Antonino Foti,
P. G. Gucciardi,
A. Rotundi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
L. Folco,
A. Saidi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Onofrio M. Maragò
C. Cecchi‐Pestellini,
P. G. Gucciardi,
A. Jiménez Escobar,
P. G. Gucciardi,
A. Jiménez Escobar,
E. Ammannito,
Giuseppe Sindoni,
Ivano Bertini,
Vincenzo Della Corte,
Laura Inno,
A. Ciaravella,
A. Rotundi,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Summary
Researchers explored how optical tweezers — tools that use focused laser beams to grip and manipulate microscopic particles — could be applied to trap and study dust particles from space or planetary surfaces. While focused on astrophysics, the same principles could potentially be adapted to study and characterize microplastic and nanoplastic particles in research settings.
Abstract Optical tweezers are powerful tools based on focused laser beams. They are able to trap, manipulate, and investigate a wide range of microscopic and nanoscopic particles in different media, such as liquids, air, and vacuum. Key applications of this contactless technique have been developed in many fields. Despite this progress, optical trapping applications to planetary exploration are still to be developed. Here we describe how optical tweezers can be used to trap and characterize extraterrestrial particulate matter. In particular, we exploit light scattering theory in the T-matrix formalism to calculate radiation pressure and optical trapping properties of a variety of complex particles of astrophysical interest. Our results open perspectives in the investigation of extraterrestrial particles on our planet, in controlled laboratory experiments, aiming for space tweezers applications: optical tweezers used to trap and characterize dust particles in space or on planetary bodies surface.