  The charge on an aggregate immersed in a plasma environment distributes
itself over the aggregate's surface; this can be approximated theoretically by
assuming a multipole distribution. The dipole-dipole (or higher order) charge
interactions between fractal aggregates lead to rotations of the grains as they
interact. Other properties of the dust grains also influence the agglomeration
process, such as the monomer shape (spherical or ellipsoidal) or the presence
of magnetic material. Finally, the plasma and grain properties also determine
the morphology of the resultant aggregates. Porous and fluffy aggregates are
more strongly coupled to the gas, leading to reduced collisional velocities,
and greater collisional cross sections. These factors in turn can determine the
growth rate of the aggregates and evolution of the dust cloud. This paper gives
an overview of the numerical and experimental methods used to study dust
agglomeration at CASPER and highlights some recent results.
