Steve Couturier / EPFL

Plasmas in nature and laboratory

Plasma Physics and Application to Fusion Energy, Astrophysics and Industry
Lecture 1a
Paolo Ricci
Introduction

What is a plasma? Where plasmas

can be found?

The word plasma

A brief history of plasma physics

Plasma
Plasmas in nature and laboratory

PLASMA

10000 K

GAS

LIQUID

SOLID

Plasma
Plasmas in nature and laboratory

Plasma
Plasmas in nature and laboratory

Plasma
The word plasma

Moldable substance, Jelly

Plasma
Plasma physics: the early days

1920s 1930s: few isolated

scientists working on:
Ionospheric plasmas (radio transmission)
Gaseous electron tubes (current rectification) I. Langmuir

1940s: H. Alfvn discovers the

Magneto-hydro dynamics plasma
waves
H. Alfvn

1950s: Magnetic fusion research

(US, UK, Soviet Union)
Plasma
2 UN Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy
nd

Geneva, 1958
Plasma
Development of fusion experiments

Plasma
Study of space and astrophysical plasmas

NASA

Plasma
Study of space and astrophysical plasmas

ESO/L. Calada

Plasma
Industrial applications, since 1980s
01 Plasma TV
02 Plasma-coated jet turbine blades
03 Plasma manufactured LEDs in panel
04 Plasma CVD eyeglass coating
05 Plasma-ion implanted artificial hip
06 Plasma laser-cut cloth
07 Plasma HID headlamps
08 Plasma-produced H, in fuel cell
09 Plasma-aided combustion
10 Plasma muffler
11 Plasma ozone water purification
12 Plasma-deposited LCD screen
13 Plasma-deposited silicon for solar cell
14 Plasma-processes microelectronics
15 Plasma-sterilization
16 Plasma-treated polymers
17 Plasma-treated textiles
18 Plasma-treated heart stent
19 Plasma-deposited diffusion Plasma
University of Michigan
Summary
Plasmas is an ionized gas
Plasma is a pervasive state of Universe
The study of plasma physics has been
driven by fusion research, the quest of
clean sustainable energy
It is essential to understand space and
astrophysical systems
Important industrial applications
An extremely challenging field Plasma