SPS - Complex, Dusty Plasmas With Dr. Ed Thomas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n85VsbqIuZ8 Streamed live on Mar 1, 2016. Title: Using dusty plasmas to study all four states of matter. Abstract: Plasmas (or ionized gases) are often referred to as a “fourth” state of matter – but perhaps, they should be the “first”.  This is because the plasmas are the most common state (over 95%) of matter in the visible universe.  From technologies such as fluorescent lighting and microelectronics manufacturing to natural systems such as lightning, the aurora, and the solar wind, plasmas are ubiquitous in our lives. Even more remarkably, over the last three decades plasma scientists have learned how to control a certain type of plasma – a “complex” or “dusty” plasma – to make it have solid-like, fluid-like, or gas-like properties.  This means that dusty plasmas are not just a fourth state of matter – they can take on the properties of all four states of matter.  This presentation will provide an introduction to the physics and applications of plasmas and will describe some of the fascinating aspects of complex/dusty plasma research – including the one-of-a-kind, high magnetic field dusty plasma laboratory that has recently begun operating at Auburn. Presenter: Dr. Ed Thomas, Jr.  Auburn University Web: http://psl.physics.auburn.edu/etjr/ Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win. This week's code is Ns2pDu Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/ Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org. While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site: https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!