Cosmic Plasmas

[thinking]

any opinions or thoughts ?

[mkirkpatrick]

any opinions or thoughts ?

Plasma is a very common phenomena in the universe,as every star is a plasma furnace,we are looking for ways of harnessing this energy as in fusion power.




regards michael.

[dleviwing]

I think most stars are considered nuclear reactions Michael, not plasma. The plasma is only the atmosphere of the star called the corona.

Phil;
You need to be a bit more explicit as to what you mean by “any opinions or thoughts”; on what??? What are you referring to as the cosmic plasmas?

[Wick]

I think most stars are considered nuclear reactions Michael, not plasma. The plasma is only the atmosphere of the star called the corona.

My college astronomy professor would disagree with you, David. Plasma is a form of matter in which the electrons (sometimes more, sometimes less) disassociate from their nuclear structures and become free from atomic nuclei. In stars, plasma reaches the most extreme kind of plasma in which virtually all of the electrons flow freely around all the protons in a state which becomes strongly influenced by electromagnetic fields. Were it not for this plasma, which reaches from the surface of the sun all the way to its core, elements wouldn't form. Thanks to plasma at all levels of stars, hydrogen "burns" into helium, which then (through gravity) sinks into the stellar core. The helium plasma in the core then "burns" into carbon, which (through gravity) sinks to the stellar core. The carbon plasma then "burns" into neon...this same process continues until it ends with a plasma of iron at the core of the sun. At this point the iron begins to absorb energy rather than create energy. The star then becomes a supernova and the rest of the heavy elements form in the energetic discharge as all the various cores of elemental plasma collide and cool.

I think Dr. MacNamarra had this right, because I've heard Hawkings and Sagan describe elemental synthesis in the same way.

Regards!

Wick

[dleviwing]

I concede to the astrological experts even though it is not quite accurate, it is also not worth a debate. I’m only an expert with man made plasmas.

My apologies to Michael.

[Graybeard]

I would also think that a sea of quarks could be considered plasma ?

cool bananas ... greg