Dissipative Dark Soliton in a Complex Plasma

We observe a dissipative dark soliton (DDS) in a capacitively coupled radio frequency (RF) gas discharge using the PK-3 Plus experimental setup. The complex plasma was prepared using spherical plastic particles of 3.4-μm diameter that levitated in the bulk of a neon plasma. The DDS was impact excited by a short voltage pulse on the RF electrodes. The wave could be analyzed at the fully kinetic level of single particles. Images of a complex plasma and the time-space plot of the observed DDS are presented.