Saturday, July 23, 2011

plasma part duex


When English physicist William Crookes first discovered plasma in 1879, he did not propose any use for the stuff. Crookes found that he could make gas behave differently than other forms of matter by stripping electrons from it with electrodes. What we now call plasma is used in arc-welding torches, neon signs and high-end television screens.

Scientists are still finding novel ways to manipulate plasma. For example, Jamey Jacob, an aerospace engineer from Oklahoma State University, has replaced mechanical parts on the wings of aircraft with arrays of tiny actuators. The actuators form jets of plasma that can speed up airflow across the surface to increase lift or, if the plumes are pointed into the airflow, increase drag. Jacob is testing the system on small unmanned aerial vehicles.

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