Plasmas...Did you know that there are four states of matter? The four states of matter are gases, solids, liquids, and . . . plasmas.
"What are some examples of plasmas and its applications?"
Well, stars are plasmas. Our own sun is a plasma! On earth, plasmas are used to generate light in fluorescent light bulbs. Plasmas find application in the manufacturing of semiconductors for home computers, TVs, and electronics, in the surface treatment of synthetic cloth for dye adhesion, in the treatment of engine exhaust, in ion thrustors for space flight, and in surface cleaning and coating. Even the medical field on earth employs plasmas for sterilization of medical tools and wounds. Water and chemical purification systems also employ plasmas.
"But, what is a plasma?"
A plasma is a gas composed of electrons (negative charges), ions (positive charges), and some neutral particles. A plasma is a unique gas because the charges at one point in space influences the motion of charges at a different point in space. Further, electric and magnetic fields, generated outside of the plasma, can manipulate or control this special gas in a unique way.
In some plasma contraptions, different color glows may be seen. This glow is a by-product of a plasma when an electron and an ion combines. Depending on the type of ions that exist in the plasma will determine the color of light (amount of energy) given off.
"How is color and energy related?"
Great question! The light we see only spans a small range over the electromagnetic spectrum. For example, radio waves give off a 'color' that our eyes cannot detect and process. To see how color lies in the electromagnetic spectrum, visit the rainbow door in the hall or click here for a picture.
Speaking about stars . . . that is one of the things I need to talk to you about. To get to Earth it will be much more convenient to use a special black hole (in this case, a wormhole) instead of direct travel because we'll never get there in time to see the lab. A black hole is a collapsed star, normally a very massive star. When it collapses, its mass is squished into an extremely small volume. The gravity of the squished mass becomes so great that even the light from the other stars are affected and pulled towards it. Black holes distort the fabric of space and time. They are very hard to spot because they are . . . well, black. They capture and absorb light. We should know what we are getting ourselves into also. First, there are quite a few black holes - ones leading to alternate universes, ones leading to a different place, and so on. We want the black hole that leads to a different place. Surprisingly enough, there is a black hole that conveniently serves our purposes quite near to planet Zaro II. After all, this is the black hole that I went through to see the Professor before. Second, we have to accelerate our ship so fast that it reaches the speed of light otherwise we will never be able to break the gravitational pull to make it out of the black hole! The laws of physics appear to favor us in this journey.