With a quick read of the article, it appears the interest is inducing a more controlled atmospheric discharge, i.e., lightning, such that greater protection of electrical infrastructure is achieved. The Earth's atmosphere is many orders of magnitude greater density than a fusion plasma. It's not clear the advantage of this process for magnetically confined fusion systems. Perhaps the_wolfman can provide some insight.Colin LeMahieu said:I was reading a paper recently about guiding electric arc discharges with lasers. http://loa.ensta-paristech.fr/ilm/uploads/ILM/134_Forestier_discharge_AIPAdvances_2_012151_2012.pdf
Since electric arcs are plasmas and they seem to be stabilized by lasers, could the same principle be applied to fusion plasma?
The pressure of the plasma is a function of particle density, n, and the temperature, T, by virtue of P = nkT, where k is the Boltzmann constant.Colin LeMahieu said:Interesting. I could see how lower density could affect results. Is the lower density because of technical limits to confinement? Higher density would generally be desired if possible, right?
Colin LeMahieu said:I was reading a paper recently about guiding electric arc discharges with lasers. http://loa.ensta-paristech.fr/ilm/uploads/ILM/134_Forestier_discharge_AIPAdvances_2_012151_2012.pdf
Since electric arcs are plasmas and they seem to be stabilized by lasers, could the same principle be applied to fusion plasma?
Plasma instability refers to the behavior of plasma, a state of matter in which electrons are separated from their atoms, when it is subjected to external forces. These forces may cause the plasma to become unstable and exhibit chaotic and unpredictable behavior.
Electric arc discharges, which are high-energy electrical discharges that occur in a gas, produce a plasma state. By controlling the parameters of the electric arc, such as the voltage and gas composition, scientists can simulate the conditions of plasma instability and study its behavior.
Understanding plasma instability is important in a variety of fields, including astrophysics, nuclear fusion, and plasma processing. By using electric arc discharges to model this phenomenon, scientists can gain insights into how to better control and utilize plasma in these applications.
One of the main challenges is reproducing the complex conditions of plasma instability in a controlled laboratory setting. Additionally, accurately measuring and analyzing the behavior of the plasma can be difficult and requires advanced instrumentation and techniques.
The findings from these experiments can be used to inform and improve the design and operation of technologies that utilize plasma, such as plasma thrusters for spacecraft propulsion and plasma-based medical treatments. Additionally, a better understanding of plasma instability can lead to advancements in fusion energy research.