Plasma Generation (IIT Delhi)
I recorded these videos today at the Plasma physics laboratory. Plasma physics was part of the course ESL 734, which I just completed this semester. All credit goes to Dr. Ramesh Narayanan for making the subject look so interesting that a Civil engineering lad couldn't help but wonder what a plasma would actually look like. So here it is.
The video above is of a plasma being generated in the apparatus using air (Nitrogen for all practical purposes). In very basic sense, air is injected between a voltage in vacuum. The larger and darker outer ball you see are the electron. The smaller yet denser bright spherical region in the middle is the ionized gas.
Below, I have shot the same process in the dark. You have to see it in person to appreciate that there is nothing between the two thin rod shaped electrodes but gas and free electrons.
Below, I have shot the same process in the dark. You have to see it in person to appreciate that there is nothing between the two thin rod shaped electrodes but gas and free electrons.
The video below shows the plasma generated when we inject Argon gas instead of air. The plasma generated is slightly more bluish-violet compared to the air plasma, but its not that apparent in the video.