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Re: Plasma
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> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Plasma
> Date: Sunday, February 20, 2000 8:54 PM
>
> Original Poster: "Christopher Boden" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>
> What is the temp of the plasma in the spark gap? In the discharge?
Most air sparks have a core at about 6000-7000K. At this temperature, the
air is sufficiently ionized (almost totally) that it is a good conductor.
As the current through the arc increases, it's diameter increases so that
the cross section of the arc carrying the current increases, reducing the
resistance.
>
> Fire/plasma conducts, why?
Conduction in anything is due to free electrons being able to move. You get
the free electrons in several ways: 1) They're just there (e.g. in metals,
which have a single or two electrons in an outer shell, easily shed); 2)
They're from an ionic salt dissoved in a liquid (when something dissolves,
it breaks up into the ions); or 3) you've stripped the electrons off the
material by adding some sort of energy (electrical or heat).
>
> Can magnets be mounted under a static gap to increase quenching in an
> application where it would be difficult to mount a fan? Has anyone tried
> this?
Yes and yes. Fans work better and are cheaper.
>