Physics
Plasma Physics
By Cynthia Kirkeby
Sep 9, 2006, 16:09 PST

Plasma Physics

If you have an interest in plasma physics, you need to check out this series of interactive labs sponsored by the Department of Energy. Flash and Shockwave are required for all of the pages, so make sure that you have the most recent versions installed on your machine.
There are separate modules on each of the following topics:
Matter
Electricity & Magnetism
Energy
Fusion

There are also two other modules that are fascinating:
The Magnetic Containment Plasma Drift Applet allows you to try and contain a plasma inside a tokamak using magnets. There are eight magnets which can be switched on or off by clicking on them with the mouse. When a magnet is on, it will exert a repulsive force on the plasma. The object is to keep the plasma from hitting the wall of the tokamak. It’s easy when the plasma is stable, but the more unstable the plasma is, the more difficult the containment becomes.

You can also try to Operate Your Own Tokamak Reactor. It illustrates the basic principles of magnetically confined fusion. See if you can get a score of at least 50 points. (Mainly for PC users, but it may work for Mac users running MacIntosh Runtime for Java.)

Have fun exploring this interesting set of interactive physics modules.

Source:       IPPEX and the Department of Energy

Plasma Physics and Radiation Processes: Essential Facts and Formulae
This glossary of terms and formulae related to plasma physics is a helpful resource for anyone studying this field of science. Although not exhaustive, it covers essential topics and the related formulae.
Source:       Thomas Smid (M.Sc. Physics, Ph.D. Astronomy)