Plasma Sensors Glowing Red Hot in VASIMR Exhaust

[birdoffirephoenix]

That was Chuck Norris yawning.

[DJLocoAl]

First post was "Errored", weres what it said: Well, of corse it would be glowing red. Thats like sticking metal in fire. Heat Make Metal Glow. PLASMA ROCKET EXHAUST MAKES PLASMA SENSORS GLOW RED.

[DJLocoAl]

Ok, I tke that back, this is still pretty intense, but, not suprising. Its a fucking powerful engine.

[DJLocoAl]

Well, of corse it would be glowing red. Thats like sticking metal in fire. Heat Make Metal Glow. PLASMA ROCKET EXHAUST MAKES PLASMA SENSORS GLOW RED.

[premiumherbs]

Plasma is a gas heated up to MILLIONS of degrees, turning the gas into a super dense gas that keeps itself together-ish. They use nobel gases because they heat much faster and are stable. Argon is this one.

[MetalMilitia5488]

@premiumherbs A gas doesn't have to be heated up to millions of degrees to ionize and form a plasma phase. Look up reactive ion etching. Chemical and electrical engineers use oxygen and SF6 plasmas to etch and pattern circuits at temperatures well below millions of degrees.

[k35magnum]

dont know much bout physics,

does the temperature determine what color the plasma is

or the gas they use

+ ar there specific gases used to create plasma or can u use any, charged the right way

[DragonFlyback256]

@k35magnum

That's called spectrum analysis. =)

Noble / inert gases are the best for creating plasma because they require lower energies to become ionized. Vapors of some metals are good for it as well, like Sodium or Mercury. The key is low electron-negativity.

[Gottschalk1990]

its so beautiful :')

[LizzyAston]

If the exhaust temperatures are 1,000,000'C, why are the sensors only 1,000'C?

[DragonFlyback256]

@LizzyAston

For a solid, dense object to become as hot as 1,000,000'C (and to become entirely vaporized in the process), needs a LOT more energy than this, all concentrated onto the surface of the object.

Think about atomic bombs...

[Crus777]

I love these thrusters!

[mason4300]

beautiful

[v2keener]

That's intense. They are glowing white hot for about 2.5 seconds, and red hot for about 0.25 seconds.