Plasma physics

Plasma physics

The branch of physics concerned with matter in its plasma (gas) state in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized.

Industry: Physics

Add a new term

Contributors in Plasma physics

Become a Contributors

Plasma physics

doppler broadening

Physics; Plasma physics

Frequency spreading which causes broadening of single-frequency radiation (e.g., spectral lines) when the radiating bodies (atoms, molecules, etc. ) have different velocities. Radiation from each ...

solar minimum

Physics; Plasma physics

The month(s) during the solar cycle when the 12-month mean of monthly average sunspot numbers reaches a minimum. the most recent minimum occurred in September 1986.

gyrofrequency

Physics; Plasma physics

The natural period of revolution of a free electron in the Earth's magnetic field.

Alfven ion cyclotron instability (AIC)

Physics; Plasma physics

An electromagnetic microinstability near the ion cyclotron frequency; driven by the ion loss cone in a mirror device.

Charged particles in a magnetic field resonate with (and absorb energy from) an electric field (perpendicular to the magnetic field) which oscillates at the particles' cyclotron frequency, or at a ...

drift waves

Physics; Plasma physics

Oscillations in a magnetically-confined plasma arising in the presence of density gradients (such as at the plasma's surface). These resemble the waves that propagate at the interface of two fluids ...

interplanetary magnetic field (IMF)

Physics; Plasma physics

Coronal magnetic field which is trapped in or ``Frozen-in'' the ever expanding solar wind. At Earth the IMF is about 5x10^(-5) gauss. This is about 10^(-4) times the Earth's surface magnetic field.