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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.

>