Physical properties of high-pressure plasmas

• Published in: Soviet physics. Uspekhi Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 99 - 115
• Main Authors: Alekseev, Vladimir A, Fortov, Vladimir E, Yakubov, I T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 28.02.1983
• ISSN: 0038-5670; 2169-5296
• DOI: 10.1070/PU1983v026n02ABEH004313

Nonideal, high-pressure plasmas are characterized physically in a review of recent theoretical and experimental studies. The applications of these plasmas to pulsed-fusion and fission power reactors, high-power MHD generators, and thermoelectric energy converters are indicated. Properties discussed include thermodynamic parameters, electrical conductivity and thermoelectromotive force of weakly ionized plasmas, electrical conductivity of highly ionized plasmas, optical properties, the dynamics of nonideal plasmas, and their stability in external fields. Graphs and tables summarizing important findings are presented. It is shown that static experiments at temperatures below about 3000 K have begun to define the thermodynamic and electrical-conductivity parameters, but not the optical properties, while dynamic experiments at pressures above 1 kbar are only beginning. Theoretical and computer-simulation studies involving quasi-particle models for electrons, atoms, and ions have made some progress in describing the extreme nonideal regions inaccessible to experiment.