Superdiffusion and non-Gaussian statistics in a driven-dissipative 2D dusty plasma

Anomalous diffusion and non-Gaussian statistics are detected experimentally in a two-dimensional driven-dissipative system. A single-layer dusty plasma suspension with a Yukawa interaction and frictional dissipation is heated with laser radiation pressure to yield a structure with liquid ordering. Analyzing the time series for mean-square displacement (MSD), superdiffusion is detected at a low but statistically significant level over a wide range of temperature. The probability distribution function (PDF) fits a Tsallis distribution, yielding q, a measure of non-extensivity for non-Gaussian statistics.