Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Plasma Physics: Collective Behavior

In course

PHYS-753: Dynamics of astrophysical fluids and plasmas

The dynamics of ordinary matter in the Universe follows the laws of (magneto)hydrodynamics. In this course, the system of equations that describes astrophysical fluids will be discussed on the basis of selected astrophysical examples, from the physics of s ...

Description

This lecture covers the properties of plasma in astrophysical contexts, including the ionization state, Saha equation, long-range forces affecting trajectories, and the concept of plasma parameter. It also discusses the degree of magnetization and the importance of astrophysical magnetic fields even when the plasma beta is greater than 1.

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Plasma (physics)

Plasma () is one of four fundamental states of matter, characterized by the presence of a significant portion of charged particles in any combination of ions or electrons. It is the most abundant form of ordinary matter in the universe, being mostly associated with stars, including the Sun. Extending to the rarefied intracluster medium and possibly to intergalactic regions, plasma can be artificially generated by heating a neutral gas or subjecting it to a strong electromagnetic field.

Ionization

Ionization (or ionisation) is the process by which an atom or a molecule acquires a negative or positive charge by gaining or losing electrons, often in conjunction with other chemical changes. The resulting electrically charged atom or molecule is called an ion. Ionization can result from the loss of an electron after collisions with subatomic particles, collisions with other atoms, molecules and ions, or through the interaction with electromagnetic radiation.

Plasma parameters

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. The behaviour of such particle systems can be studied statistically. All quantities are in Gaussian (cgs) units except energy and temperature which are in electronvolts.

Template processor

A template processor (also known as a template engine or template parser) is software designed to combine templates with a data model to produce result documents. The language that the templates are written in is known as a template language or templating language. For purposes of this article, a result document is any kind of formatted output, including documents, web pages, or source code (in source code generation), either in whole or in fragments.

Web template system

A web template system in web publishing allows web designers and developers work with web templates to automatically generate custom web pages, such as the results from a search. This reuses static web page elements while defining dynamic elements based on web request parameters. Web templates support static content, providing basic structure and appearance. Developers can implement templates from content management systems, web application frameworks, and HTML editors.

Related lectures (26)

Plasma Physics II: Fundamentals and Applications

Covers collisional and transport phenomena, collective phenomena, and wave-particle interactions in plasma physics.

Plasma State: Properties and Effects

Covers the definition and properties of plasma, including ionization and collective effects.

Plasma Heating: Neutral Beams MOOC: Plasma Physics: Applications

Explores the limitations of ohmic heating in plasma and the advantages and drawbacks of neutral beam injection for additional plasma heating.

Introduction to Plasma Physics

Introduces the basics of plasma physics, covering collective behavior, Debye length, and plasma conditions.

Cosmological Puzzles: Dark Matter and Energy