• Question: What are the physical and chemical properties of plasma?

    Asked by anon-267489 on 26 Nov 2020.
    • Photo: Sam Geen

      Sam Geen answered on 26 Nov 2020:

      A plasma is a gas where some of the electrons are floating around outside of atoms. This happens when the gas gets hot enough or when strong enough radiation kicks electrons off of atoms. A lot of the volume of galaxies and the universe is a plasma because of the strong radiation and winds from stars, and supernova explosions.

    • Photo: Adrien Chauvet

      Adrien Chauvet answered on 26 Nov 2020:

      In the lab, we use plasma to change the colour of our lasers.
      For example, if you come we an intense red laser (e.g. Ti:S, 800nm), you can focus it in the air and some of the light will generate a plasma. The rest of the light will go through the plasma and be “modulated” in a way that you end up with colours different than the initial red. You usually get a nice white light (all visible colours), and if you tune it well (and you do it in pure gas), you can even generate X-rays.
      You can also use plasma to conduct electricity (some projects aim at guiding lightings using plasma!).
      Or you can simply use plasm to write on metals… like a pen on paper.

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