Plasmas - the Fourth State of Matter
CHARACTERISTICS OF TYPICAL PLASMAS
Plasmas consist of freely moving charged particles, i.e., electrons and ions. Formed at high temperatures when electrons are stripped from neutral atoms, plasmas are common in nature. For instance, stars are predominantly plasma. Plasmas are the "Fourth State of Matter" because of their unique physical properties, distinct from solids, liquids and gases. Plasma densities and temperatures vary widely.
Additional Materials from CPEP:
Lightning (with student quiz!) Nebulae - Luminous Clouds in Space The Sun -
from Core to Corona The
Solar Wind Fluorescent
Lights and Neon Signs
Additonal Plasma Links from Around the World:
The
Aurora - from the Space Science
Institute at the University of Colorado Biographical sketch
of Nobel Laureate Plasma Physicist Hannes Alfven (Sweden) - Second sketch Biographical sketch
of Nobel Laureate Plasma Researcher Irving Langmuir (United States)
Other Links from this page:
Page originally created by Jason Edson and Hannah Cohen.
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory