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Which natural events on Earth produce plasma?
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plasma
Learn about the PHELIX (Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion Experiments) laser at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany. PHELIX is used for plasma and atomic physics research.
While plasma is the most common state of matter in the universe, it rarely occurs naturally at the Earth's surface. Aside from the free electrons found within metallic solids, the primary natural events and phenomena that produce plasma on Earth include:
- Lightning: During a lightning stroke, an oxygen-nitrogen gas mixture is heated to approximately 20,000 K, creating a transient plasma. Ball lightning is also believed to be a form of plasma, though it remains poorly understood.1
- Auroras: These displays occur when beams of high-energy electrons are accelerated into the atmosphere, colliding with gas molecules to create plasma.2
- The Ionosphere: This region of the upper atmosphere is ionized by energetic photons, such as X-rays and far-ultraviolet rays, emitted by the Sun.2
- Noctilucent Clouds: Found in the polar mesosphere, these clouds are thought to consist of charged ice crystals, forming a medium similar to dusty plasmas.1
Additionally, the Earth is constantly immersed in the solar wind, a tenuous plasma originating from the Sun.3