Plasma - definition

Plasma is the fourth state of matter, next to solid, liquid and gas, characterised by the presence of ionised particles - positively charged ions and free electrons - which give it the properties conductor of electricity. It is formed by supplying a sufficient amount of energy to a gas, leading to the detachment of electrons from atoms or molecules and the formation of a mixture of charged and neutral particles.

A number of phenomena characteristic of matter interacting strongly with electromagnetic fields occur in plasma. It is capable of conducting electricity, generating electromagnetic waves, emitting radiation and responding to external electric and magnetic fields. Due to the high mobility of charge carriers, plasma exhibits high electrical conductivity and the ability to create spatial structures such as eddy currents, waves or convection cells.

Depending on the degree of ionisation and the density and temperature, plasmas are divided into hot (high-energy), cold (low-temperature) and balanced and unbalanced in terms of electron and ion temperature. Plasmas naturally occur in nature, including in stars, lightning, auroras and the ionosphere. Artificially generated plasmas are used in a variety of technological applications such as glow discharge, arc welding, plasma engines, etching processes in microelectronics, plasma lamps, fusion reactors and gas sterilisation and purification devices.

The mathematical description of plasmas requires consideration of the equations of electrodynamics, particle kinetics and complex systems theory. Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) theory, which describes the behaviour of an ionised fluid in the presence of magnetic fields, plays an important role in plasma research. Plasma can exist in thermal equilibrium or be strongly non-stationary, making it of interest to both fundamental physics and high-tech engineering.

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