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Part I

Object of Plasma Physics

 I. Object of Plasma Physics
1. Characterization of the Plasma State
2. Plasmas in Nature
3. Plasmas in the Laboratory
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1. Characterization of the Plasma State

1.1 Definition of the Plasma State

1.2 Historical Perspective
1.3 Transition to the Plasma State
1.4 Examples
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1.1 Definition of the Plasma State

1.1.1 Atomic Physics Brush-Up

1.1.2 Thermodynamics Brush-Up
1.1.2 Ionized Gases
1.1.3 From Ionized Gas to Plasma
1.1.4 The “Fourth State” of the Matter
BACK 1.1.1 Atomic Physics Brush-Up
How do atoms really look like?

Atoms in a Silicon crystal as seen through a Scanning Tunnel

Microscope
 Looking at an Atom

• An “electron” cloud…
 Looking inside an Atom

• Inside the “electron cloud”: Electrons, Protons

and Neutrons

0.5 10 10 m

 Ionization Process

• Energetic electron causes ionization

0.5 10 10 m

 Atomic Structure

Nucleus

8 miles

Electron

The real proportions inside an atom

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1.1.2 Thermodynamics Brush-up

• A velocity distribution function represents how many

particles have a certain velocity
• Example 1: a stream of particles, with (one-dimensional)
velocities u1=0.5 (m/s):

f(u)

14

u
0.5 1
 Thermodynamics Brush-up (II)

• Example 2: counter-streaming particles, half with (one-

dimensional) velocities u1=0.5 (m/s) and half with u2=-
0.5 (m/s):

f(u)

u
-0.5 0.5 1
 Thermodynamics Brush-up (III)
• Example 3: a system with a velocity spread and
density n (m-3).
• In general the distribution is normalized to the density:
n = �f (ui )Dui =�ni
i i
• For a discrete distribution:
Du�ޮ�� 0 = f (ui ) f (ui ) nid (ui )
+� +�
f(u) �d (u )du = 1 � n = ��nid (ui )dui
� i �

u
-0.5 0.5 Du 1
 Thermodynamics Brush-up (IV)

• Thermal equilibrium: all the components of the system

have the same temperature or average kinetic energy
• At thermal equilibrium the velocity distribution
function becomes a Maxwellian:
1 2
f (u ) = A exp( mu / k BT )
2 +�
• The constant A is found by imposing n = �
�
f (u ) du

1
� m �
2
A = n� �
2p k
� B � T
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1.1.3 Ionized Gases

• An ionized gas is characterized, in general, by a

mixture of neutrals, (positive) ions and electrons.
• For a gas in thermal equilibrium the Saha equation
gives the expected amount of ionization:
3/ 2
ni 21 T U i / k BT
; 2.4 �
10 e
nn ni

• The Saha equation describes an equilibrium situation

between ionization and (ion-electron) recombination
rates.
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Example: Saha Equation

• Solving Saha equation

3/ 2
ni T
1021
; 2.4 � e Ui / kBT
nn ni

2 21 3 / 2 U i / k BT
n ; 2.4 �
i 10 nnT e
Example: Saha Equation (II)
 Backup: The Boltzmann Equation

The ratio of the number density (in atoms per m^3) of

atoms in energy state B to those in energy state A is
given by
NB / NA = ( gB / gA ) exp[ -(EB-EA)/kT ]
where the g's are the statistical weights of each level (the
number of states of that energy). Note for the energy
levels of hydrogen
gn = 2 n2
which is just the number of different spin and angular
momentum states that have energy En.
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1.1.4 From Ionized Gas to Plasma

• An ionized gas is not necessarily a plasma

• An ionized gas can exhibit a “collective behavior” in
the interaction among charged particles when when
long-range forces prevail over short-range forces
• An ionized gas could appear quasineutral if the charge
density fluctuations are contained in a limited region
of space
• A plasma is an ionized gas that presents a collective
behavior and is quasineutral
 From Ionized Gas to Plasma (II)

• (Long range) Coulomb force between two charged

particles q1 and q2 at distance r:
q1q2
F=
4pe 0 r 2
q1

q2
r
 From Ionized Gas to Plasma (III)
• (Short range) force between two neutral atoms (e.g.
from Lenard-Jones interatomic potential model)

repulsive attractive
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1.1.5 The “Fourth State” of the Matter

• The matter in “ordinary” conditions presents itself in

three fundamental states of aggregation: solid, liquid
and gas.
• These different states are characterized by different
levels of bonding among the molecules.
• In general, by increasing the temperature (=average
molecular kinetic energy) a phase transition occurs,
from solid, to liquid, to gas.
• A further increase of temperature increases the
collisional rate and then the degree of ionization of the
gas.
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The “Fourth State” of the Matter (II)

• The ionized gas could then become a plasma if the

proper conditions for density, temperature and
characteristic length are met (quasineutrality,
collective behavior).
• The plasma state does not exhibit a different state of
aggregation but it is characterized by a different
behavior when subject to electromagnetic fields.
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The “Fourth State” of the Matter (III)