5: Langmuir’s Probe - Tools for Science

5: langmuir s ProbePurposeThe purpose of this lab is to measure some basic properties ofplasmas: electron tempera-ture, number density and plasma you think of electrical conductors, you probably thinkfirst of metals. In metals thevalence electrons are not bound to particular nuclei, rather they are free to move throughthe solid and thus conduct an electrical current. However, by far the most common electricalconductors in the Universe areplasmas: a term first applied to hot ionized gases by IrvingLangmuir (see below). In conditions rare on the surface of the Earth but common in theUniverse as a whole, high temperatures1provide enough energy to eject electrons fromatoms. Thus a plasma consists of a gas of freely flying electrons, ions, and yet unionizedatoms. It should come as no surprise that during the extraordinary conditions of the BigBang, all the matter in the Universe was ionized.

5 tubes (think of a neon sign), he invented diagnostic tools like the Langmuir probe to in-

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