When studying geospace, we can learn about plasma in the Van Allen belts and the plasmasphere. Plasma is the fourth state after solid, liquid, and gas, and is a state in which atoms and molecules are ionized due to high temperatures. The sun is also made of plasma, the solar wind is a flow of plasma, and more than 90% of the matter in outer space is plasma. There is so much plasma out there.
Plasma in Geospace
In geospace, an area extending from the Earth’s surface to an altitude of 60,000 meters, plasmas of various energies detected by the Earth’s magnetic field seem to exist. These include the plasmasphere, which is cold plasma of less than 1 electron volt (temperature of about 10,000 degrees), the plasma sheet and ring current, which carry strong currents of several to tens of kiloelectron volts and cause the aurora to shine, and the Van Allen belts, which are more than megaelectron volts, and protect the Earth from the solar wind and cosmic rays.
Plasma in natural phenomena
Natural plasma phenomena include lightning, flames, and the aurora. Lightning occurs when a large amount of electricity flows through the air, heating it up and ionizing it into plasma, and this plasma apparently fixes the nitrogen in the atmosphere. Flames occur when part of the fuel heated by combustion ionizes and turns into plasma, and this plasma apparently radiates a blue light. The aurora is a phenomenon in which plasma emitted from the solar wind collides with oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere, causing it to emit light; the green and red are caused by oxygen, the pink by a combination of nitrogen and oxygen, and the purple by nitrogen molecular ions. As exemplified by the beauty of the aurora, plasma is likely closely related to light and color.
micro plasma
We tend to think of plasma as something that requires high energy, like flames or lightning, but it seems that plasma can also be generated by small amounts of friction. Microscopic plasma, known as microplasma, can be generated at a slow speed of just 2 cm per second, and can even be generated by rubbing or scratching with your fingers. Plasma can be generated that easily. Our daily lives may be filled with more plasma than we think.
Plasma is amazing
Most of the universe is made up of plasma, and it seems that a lot of plasma is generated in our everyday lives, so this world is full of plasma. Plasma protects the Earth from the solar wind, fixes nitrogen from the air to help plants grow, and creates colorful and beautiful phenomena. Plasma is amazing. It’s amazing that the Earth continues to hold up a sturdy celestial body inside the plasma.
