Plasma (physics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Plasma (physics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In physics and chemistry, a plasma is typically an ionized gas. Plasma is considered to be a distinct state of matter, apart from gases, because of its unique properties. "Ionized" refers to presence of one or more free electrons, which are not bound to an atom or molecule. The free electric charges make the plasma electrically conductive so that it responds strongly to electromagnetic fields.

Plasma typically takes the form of neutral gas-like clouds (e.g. stars) or charged ion beams, but may also include dust and grains (called dusty plasmas).[1] They are typically formed by heating and ionizing a gas, stripping electrons away from atoms, thereby enabling the positive and negative charges to move more freely.
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* 1 History
* 2 Common plasmas
* 3 Plasma properties and parameters
o 3.1 Definition of a plasma
o 3.2 Ranges of plasma parameters
o 3.3 Degree of ionization
o 3.4 Temperatures
o 3.5 Potentials [This is a link to part of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28physics%29]
o 3.6 Magnetization
o 3.7 Comparison of plasma and gas phases [This is a link to part of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28physics%29]
* 4 Complex plasma phenomena
o 4.1 Filamentation
o 4.2 Shocks or double layers
o 4.3 Electric fields and circuits
o 4.4 Cellular structure
o 4.5 Critical ionization velocity
o 4.6 Ultracold plasma
o 4.7 Non-neutral plasma
o 4.8 Dusty plasma and grain plasma
* 5 Mathematical descriptions [This is a link to part of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28physics%29]
o 5.1 Fluid model
o 5.2 Kinetic model
* 6 Fields of active research
* 7 Footnotes
* 8 See also
* 9 External links