Understanding Plasma Capacitors and Their Application in High-Voltage Systems

[rec]

Does the concept of capacitance also apply to positively-charged plasma particles in a strong enough electric field? In other words, is it possible to accumulate positive gas ions on one side of some apparatus (or one side of a vacuum tube filled with a very small amount of gas) if a strong enough voltage were applied to attract the positive ions one direction and its electrons in the other direction? Or do the plasma particles stay uniformly distributed within the vessel like any non-plasma gas would regardless of the voltage used?

Thanks

 

[BDOA]

Does the concept of capacitance also apply to positively-charged plasma particles in a strong enough electric field? In other words, is it possible to accumulate positive gas ions on one side of some apparatus (or one side of a vacuum tube filled with a very small amount of gas) if a strong enough voltage were applied to attract the positive ions one direction and its electrons in the other direction? Or do the plasma particles stay uniformly distributed within the vessel like any non-plasma gas would regardless of the voltage used?

Thanks

Plasma conducts rather well, so if an electric field was placed across a plasma, would normally
be conducted away though the electrodes. But perhaps using magnets to trap the electric
charges at either end, might make for a stable plasma capacitor. Its not obvious to me that
such a configuration exists, but it might be possible to make one.

 

[sir-pinski]

for your question! The concept of capacitance does apply to positively-charged plasma particles in a strong electric field. In fact, plasma capacitors are specifically designed to take advantage of this phenomenon. A plasma capacitor is a type of capacitor that uses a plasma as the dielectric material between its two electrodes. The plasma, which is a gas that has been ionized and contains both positive and negative ions, acts as an insulating material just like a solid dielectric would in a traditional capacitor.

When a strong enough voltage is applied to the electrodes, the positive ions in the plasma will be attracted to the negative electrode, while the negative ions will be attracted to the positive electrode. This creates an accumulation of positive ions on one side and negative ions on the other, just like in a traditional capacitor. This accumulation of charge creates an electric field between the two electrodes, which can be used for various high-voltage applications.

However, it is important to note that the plasma particles will not necessarily stay uniformly distributed within the vessel like a non-plasma gas would. This is because the plasma particles are charged and will be affected by the electric field. As the voltage is increased, the plasma particles will start to move and align themselves with the electric field, leading to the accumulation of charge on one side. This is why plasma capacitors are often used in conjunction with other components, such as magnetic fields, to control and manipulate the movement of the plasma particles.

In summary, the concept of capacitance does apply to positively-charged plasma particles in a strong electric field, and this is what allows plasma capacitors to be used in high-voltage systems. However, the behavior of the plasma particles is different from that of a non-plasma gas, as they will be affected by the electric field and can be manipulated for various applications.