Plasma parameters

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The complex self-constricting magnetic field lines and current paths in a Birkeland current that may develop in a plasma (Evolution of the Solar System, 1976) Plasma parameters define various characteristics of a plasma, an electrically conductive collection of charged particles that responds collectively to electromagnetic forces. Plasma typically takes the form of neutral gas-like clouds or charged ion beams, but may also include dust and grains. [1] The behaviour of such particle systems can be studied statistically. [2]

Contents

1 Fundamental plasma parameters o 1.1 Frequencies o 1.2 Lengths o 1.3 Velocities o 1.4 Dimensionless 2 See also 3 References 4 Footnotes

Fundamental plasma parameters

All quantities are in Gaussian (cgs) units except temperature expressed in eV and ion mass expressed in units of the proton mass ; Z is charge state; k is Boltzmann's constant; K is wavenumber; is the adiabatic index; ln is the Coulomb logarithm.

Frequencies

electron gyrofrequency, the angular frequency of the circular motion of an electron in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field: ion gyrofrequency, the angular frequency of the circular motion of an ion in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field: electron plasma frequency, the frequency with which electrons oscillate (plasma oscillation): ion plasma frequency: electron trapping rate: ion trapping rate: electron collision rate: ion collision rate:

Lengths

Electron thermal de Broglie wavelength, approximate average de Broglie wavelength of electrons in a plasma:

classical distance of closest approach, the closest that two particles with the elementary charge come to each other if they approach head-on and each have a velocity typical of the temperature, ignoring quantum-mechanical effects: electron gyroradius, the radius of the circular motion of an electron in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field: ion gyroradius, the radius of the circular motion of an ion in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field: plasma skin depth, the depth in a plasma to which electromagnetic radiation can penetrate:

Debye length, the scale over which electric fields are screened out by a redistribution of the electrons: Ion inertial length, the scale at which ions decouple from electrons and the magnetic field becomes frozen into the electron fluid rather than the bulk plasma:

Velocities

electron thermal velocity, typical velocity of an electron in a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution: ion thermal velocity, typical velocity of an ion in a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution: ion sound velocity, the speed of the longitudinal waves resulting from the mass of the ions and the pressure of the electrons: Alfvn velocity, the speed of the waves resulting from the mass of the ions and the restoring force of the magnetic field:

Dimensionless

A 'sun in a test tube'. The Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor during operation in so called "star mode" characterized by "rays" of glowing plasma which appear to emanate from the gaps in the inner grid. square root of electron/proton mass ratio

number of particles in a Debye sphere Alfvn velocity/speed of light electron plasma/gyrofrequency ratio ion plasma/gyrofrequency ratio

thermal/magnetic pressure ratio ("beta") magnetic/ion rest energy ratio

See also

List of plasma (physics) articles NRL Plasma Formulary (esp. p. 28 and p. 29), J.D. Huba, Naval Research Laboratory (2007)

References Footnotes
1. ^ Peratt, Anthony, Physics of the Plasma Universe (1992); 2. ^ Parks, George K., Physics of Space Plasmas (2004, 2nd Ed.)