O plasma is known as the fourth physical stateof matter. It is an ionized gas, that is, a gas whose molecules have had their electrons ripped off.
Plasma in Physics
O plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter. It is any gas that has had its electrons ripped off due to a big increase in your energy. All the gases that receive sufficiently large amounts of energy can have their atoms and molecules ionized, that is, having their electrons so far apart that they no longer suffer a great electrical attraction to their atomic nuclei.
The plasma therefore behaves like a "cloud" of protons, neutrons and free electrons, unlike gases that are formed by atoms and moleculesneutral. In addition, electrical charge particles positive (protons) and negative (electrons) of the plasma attract each other, but are not able to bind, due to the greatvelocity and agitationthermal common to this state of matter.
Fundamentally, the differences between an ordinary gas and a plasma are due to factors such as
density, temperature and ionization state, moreover, despite being rarely found on Earth, plasma is the most common physical state of the matter of the Universe.
The ionized gases within the plasma globe dome emit visible light when accelerated by the central electrode.
Lookalso: Kinetic theory of gases
THE density of a plasma is measured by the number of electrons per unit volume, the temperature, in turn, can be given both in kelvins, how much in electron volts (a unit of measure for the kinetic energy of electrons), and the ionization state refers to fully or partially ionized plasmas.
It is generally possible to obtain plasma by heating a gas to very high temperatures, as in the case of stars and during the formation of electrical discharges (rays). We call this type thermal plasma, since both the electrons and their other constituent particles are under the same temperature.
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Lookalso: Curiosities about rays
O plasmanon-thermal, in turn, is the one in which there is no thermal balance between the free electrons and the other particles in the plasma, while the electrons move at very high speeds, with temperatures higher than 10.000K. In this type of plasma, the other particles are at temperatures close to room temperature. You can find it in the lamps of neon and in mercury lamps, for example.
How plasmas are formed by particlesloaded, they can produce highs magnetic fields, as these are produced by movement in loadselectrical devices. We say that when a plasma is capable of producing a large magnetic field, it is a magnetized plasma, like that found in stars.
Lookalso:Plasma, the most abundant physical state in the Universe
The movement of particles within a plasma tends to be any lesschaotic that the movement of particles of a gas, since the great performance of electrical forces and magnetic can promote periodic oscillations in the plasma. What makes it difficult for collisions between particles, which, when they occur, produce populations of particles. extremelyfast, as in the case of the plasma present in the atmosphere that surrounds the Sun which gives rise to the solar winds.
Another interesting property of plasmas is their high conductivityelectric. In general, one can consider the conductivity of plasmas as infinite, after all, there are no limits imposed on the transport of electrical charges in plasmatic media. In turn, the gases have, as a rule, high electrical resistance, as in the case of the gases from the earth atmosphere, which transform into plasma, allowing the formation of rays when an electric field greater than 30,000 kV/cm is formed in this medium.
The solar wind is a plasma composed of high-energy charged particles.
Examples
→ Polar Auroras
The Sun emits a large amount of electrically charged particles towards the Earth at speeds close to that of light. When these particles interact with the Earth's magnetic field, which is more intense at the North and South poles, they deflect and move in a spiral.
The acceleration acquired by the solar wind particles causes them to emit visible radiation, giving rise to the phenomenon of the polar aurora, also known as Northern Lights. As it is a flow of free and electrically charged particles, we can say that the auroras produced near the poles arise due to the interaction of the solar plasma with the magnetic field terrestrial.
Lookalso:Polar aurora physics
→ Mercury Lamps
Mercury lamps are widely used in Street lighting. The light generated by this type of lamp is emitted by a mercury plasma.
In these lamps, a large potential difference is applied between two electrodes, the gas argon, present inside the bulb of the lamp, promotes the formation of a arc between the two electrodes. Then the electrical resistance of the electrodes drops, increasing the electric current and starting the process of ignition of the mercury, which is vaporized. After a few minutes, the mercury gas pressure and temperature are high, and the emission of visible light presents your maximum value.
→ Fluorescent lamps
One alternating potential difference is applied in lamp ends which contains gases under low pressures. In this way, atoms lose part of their electrons, forming partially ionized plasmas Low density and low temperature. Collisions between atoms emit UV radiation, which is absorbed.
→ neon lamps
Neon lamps contain neon gas under low pressures, which, when subjected to electrical currents, become ionized and emit visible light. Lamps of this type are used in luminous facades, in car headlights and also in decorations.
Lookalso: Fluorescent and incandescent lamps
→ Lightning (atmospheric discharges)
the rays are big electrical discharges that occur in the air. During lightning formation, a large number of electrons are conducted through the air. The passage of electrons causes the atmospheric gas to behave like a plasma, due to a sudden increase in temperature. Atmospheric air is very insulating, however, under high electric fields, becomes conductor. In this regime, the temperature of the atmospheric plasma can reach 30,000 K.
→ plasma globe
The plasma globes are used as decoration. They are small glass spheres that contain some noble gases inside. In the plasma globes, a gas mixture at low pressure is stimulated by a central electrode in highvoltage. The large electric field inside the globe produces oscillating electric fields that ionize the gas, which then emits visible light.
→Tokamak
O Tokamak it is a energy production device, it is an experimental cold nuclear fusion reactor. Inside, a plasma of hydrogen it is confined by a large magnetic field.
To generate energy, the Tokamak has two plasma beams that rotate at high speeds and in opposite senses, while confined in a circular trajectory, under the action of an intense magnetic field. When the particles of plasma beams collide frontally, its atoms can fuse, producing an enormous amount of energy.
→ solar wind
O solar wind it is a phenomenon produced by the Sun. The Sun produces its own energy through the fusion of hydrogen atoms, giving rise to atoms of helium. However, some of these particles are ejected from its surface and reach the Earth, giving rise to phenomena such as the aurora borealis.
In simple terms, the solar wind is a form of plasma that is produced by the Sun through the Nuclear fusion. This plasma travels in super high speeds and carries a lot of energy. When the solar wind hits Earth, it can affect telecommunications operation due to its intense electromagnetic field.
By Me. Rafael Helerbrock
