Re: Plasma

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Plasma
• From: "Reinhard Walter Buchner" <rw.buchner-at-verbund-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 19:14:35 -0700
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Hi Chris, Sarah,

> Original Poster: "Sarah Thompson" <sarah-at-telergy-dot-com>
>
> > What is the temp of the plasma in the spark gap? In the discharge?
>
> Very hot, thousands of centigrade is not unusual.
>
> > Fire/plasma conducts, why?
>
> A plasma is a gas that has had more energy pumped into it than will
>allow electrons to stay with their original nuclei. The characteristic
>glow is caused because photons are emitted whenever electrons
>jump up or down in energy levels. Ordinary gases don't conduct 
>significantly, because few if any free electrons can move around -
>they are all bound to nuclei. Plasmas do conduct precisely because
>there *are* lots of free electrons.

For some interesting pictures of a plasma lab, have a look at:
http://rwbuchner.future.easyspace-dot-com/ and click on the plasma
lab picture.

Coiler greets from Germany,
Reinhard

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