Compress a very hot plasma, change in electromagnetic energy?

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the thermodynamic behavior of a hydrogen plasma at high temperatures, specifically when 99.9% ionized and subjected to compression at constant pressure (P). The energy accounting during this process involves contributions to both the heating of the plasma and the photon gas, with inquiries about the changes in electrostatic and magnetic energy as the plasma volume decreases. The relationship between the plasma's equilibrium temperature (T) and the associated black body radiation is also highlighted, indicating a complex interplay between classical and quantum physics in this context.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of plasma physics and ionization processes.
  • Knowledge of thermodynamics, particularly the first law of thermodynamics.
  • Familiarity with electromagnetic theory, including electrostatic and magnetic energy concepts.
  • Basic principles of quantum mechanics related to black body radiation.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the thermodynamic properties of ionized gases, focusing on hydrogen plasma.
  • Study the relationship between plasma temperature and black body radiation using Planck's law.
  • Explore the concepts of electrostatic energy in compressed plasmas and their implications.
  • Investigate the dynamics of magnetic energy in moving charged particles within a plasma context.
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Physicists, engineers, and researchers involved in plasma physics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetic theory, particularly those interested in the behavior of ionized gases under compression.

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Say I have a volume of hydrogen gas that is raised to a temperature T so that 99.9 percent of the gas is ionized. If now, with the plasma at some pressure P, the volume is compressed a small volume dV such that no energy leaves the volume I'm curious of a total accounting of where the energy PdV goes.

Some energy goes into heating the plasma and some energy goes into "heating" the photon gas?

This is not a statics problem but is there an average total electrostatic energy that can be computed and does it change during compression? The electrostatic energy of a compressed neutral plasma confuses me.

What about the magnetic energy of the moving charges, their average speed increases but the volume decreases so does the total magnetic energy change?

I may be mixing classical and quantum, any clarifications welcome.

Thanks for any help!
 
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What "photon gas" are you referring to?
 
Drakkith said:
What "photon gas" are you referring to?

I assumed that if we have a plasma at equilibrium temperature T there would also be black body radiation at the same temperature T that coexisted with the plasma?
 

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