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Old 08-August-2005, 12:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by czeslaw
I think, you miss something. A wind on the Earth is a movement of particles , which are in electric equilibrium. Every proton has its own electron just around.
The solar wind as a plasma is a movement of particles tend to reach an equilibrium. The proton hasn’t an electron around, they are seeking each other all the time.
I guess you could look at it that way if you really want. The fact is that the temperature of the particles (electrons and ions) is so high that the stable orbit for the electron at 13.6 eV cannot be entered. The electrons just have too much energy and fly away. The plasma is a whole system, which is in equilibrium (in the restrframe of the plasma) and (quasi-)neutral. I write quasi here, full knowing that this might be misinterpreted, but on small scales there may be slight discrepancies.

Quote:
Originally Posted by czeslaw
A plasma is neutral as whole but electrons and protons move separately, that way there is a magnetic current and energy is carried too.
The electrons and protons move at the same speed, a neutral cloud of plasma passes by the Earth and there is no electric current, let alone a magnetic current.

Quote:
Originally Posted by czeslaw
An alternating current is neutral as whole system, the electrons move forth and back relatively to protons. The energy of the alternating current depends on the voltage and amount of the free electrons. The direction of the electrons is not important.
That makes it rather difficult to light your desklamp, if the direction of the electron is not important. I guess you think here about an electric wire. In space plasma's there are basically only DC currents, unless you want to regard plasma oscillations at the plasma frequency an AC current.

Quote:
Originally Posted by czeslaw
What is the energy of the plasma ?
The amount of free electrons has their temperature and we may count out the voltage too. U=v^2m/2e .
We can separate electrons from protons in a magnetic field – in normal wind is it not possible.
The radius of the electron is different as of the proton r =mv/eB and the frequency is f =eB/2pi m.
So then, the solar wind might be a cloud moving very fast in the magnetic field with very high oscillate electric current inside.
Well, put in numbers and tell us how very high this current is, and look up in a plasma physics book or in "Classical Electrodynamics" by Jackson, if this happens.
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