History
Plasma was first identified in a Crookes tube, and so described by Sir William Crookes in 1879 (he called it "radiant matter"). The nature of the Crookes tube "cathode ray" matter was subsequently identified by British physicist Sir J.J. Thomson in 1897. The term "plasma" was coined by Irving Langmuir in 1928, perhaps because the glowing discharge molds itself to the shape of the Crooks tube (Gr. πλάσμα – a thing moulded or formed). Langmuir described his observations as:
Except near the electrodes, where there are sheaths containing very few electrons, the ionized gas contains ions and electrons in about equal numbers so that the resultant space charge is very small. We shall use the name plasma to describe this region containing balanced charges of ions and electrons.
Read more about this topic: Plasma (physics)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
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—Charlie Dunbar Broad (1887–1971)
“There is a history in all men’s lives,
Figuring the natures of the times deceased,
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With a near aim, of the main chance of things
As yet not come to life.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The history is always the same the product is always different and the history interests more than the product. More, that is, more. Yes. But if the product was not different the history which is the same would not be more interesting.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)