PLASMA PHYSICS

HARSH AGARWAL B.TECH. AEROSPACE 3RD YEAR IIST, TRIVANDRUM

INTRODUCTION
What is plasma?

Laymen Definition state of matter

Technical Definition ionized gas What causes ionization? Final stage of plasma ionization and recombination

SOURCES OF PLASMA
Sun

Tube lights
Ionosphere Accelerators Any discharge tube

APPLICATIONS
Is there need of any??

Nitriding of materials
Pyrolysis Space propulsion

WHAT MAKES PLASMA SO SPECIAL?..

It is neither a gas nor liquid

In Fluid mech. We have equations and different methods to solve, but plasma?
We have but quite few..

CHARACTERISTIC PROPERTIES
Density

Electron Temperature
Plasma potential

PECULIAR PROPERTIES
Good conductor of electricity

Quasi neutrality
Sheath Formation

QUASI NEUTRALITY AND SHIELDING

A region of charged species . = / Being charged yet total charge is zero, leading to no electric field. This neutrality is maintained even after disturbances in plasma, this property is called shielding Insertion of a metal or charged species in plasma.

PLASMA POTENTIAL
Plasma has zero charge in it, so why potential?

Race of massive ions and light electrons

Can we measure this potential?... We perturb plasma and measure the perturbations to know its potential.

DEBYE SHIELD
Debye shield parameters can be calculated by two basic equations

Poisson s Equation
Electron density, namely by maxwellian distribution 2 = ( )

= exp (/ ) Where, and , are ion and electron density respectively , is density of bulk plasma , is potential diff. in shield region

DEBYE SHIELD( contd.)

Now assuming that ion density remains const. we get the relation
2 2

(exp ( )

1)

Let |e/Te|<1 = exp (

)

^(1/2) 2

REFERENCES
Introduction to fundamentals of plasma physics, F. Chen

MIT open courseware

Fundamentals of Plasma Physics, Paul M. Bellan Plasma Physics and Engineering, Fridman

THANK YOU