Plasma Role In Universe

It is known that 99 % of visible matter in the Universe is in the plasma state. Only us have the luck of living in our Earth, which belongs to the one percent of the other states of the matter. But even in our Earth we find plasma: within the channels of the lightnings, in the ionosphere, in the auroras or Northern and Southern Lights and in the Earth’s magnetosphere. In the Solar System the plasma is found in the solar wind, in the planet’s magnetospheres and the comets. Around Jupiter and Saturn we even have plasma that forms gigantic plasma toroids. The Sun itself and the rest of the stars are enormous plasma balls and such phenomena as the Sun spots, spicules, chromosphere eruptions, coronal mass ejections and protuberances belong to the typical plasma manifestations. Not only the stars, but also a good deal of the nebulae within the galaxies is composed of plasma. In the nebulae again we observe plasma manifestations: filamentation product of the electric and magnetic fields, particle acceleration up to a remarkable high energy and luminous radiation (in different wavelengths) result of different mechanisms. Near the centre of our Galaxy it has been observed extensive plasma filaments, with lengths of around 250 light years, perpendicular to the plane of our Galaxy. In the rest of the galaxies are found similar formations, namely, those tracked within the nuclei of the active galaxies (AGN - Active electric current (for example our Milky Way with the Magellanic Clouds). The jets and two radio spots near the quasars, the active galactic nuclei and others are again plasma formations, and have its origin in the plasma properties. The numerical simulations of the last years show that probably the plasma phenomena should have a dominant role in the star formation from the creation of the protostellar cloud, making possible the creation of the primary globules without having to accomplish the Jean’s criterion regarding the minimum size of the nebula and even without a “starter” shock wave from a neighbor supernova. In the same manner the numerical simulations show that the arms of the galactic spirals can be the result of the electromagnetic interaction of global magnetic fields and need not to be only gravitational manifestations. Nowadays it also seems that the most energetic particles, which are observed in the cosmic rays, were accelerated in the plasma spatial filaments inside an electric double layer. Therefore the possible picture that we can make of our Universe changes, since the Universe is not only gravitational interaction, as we have thought until recently. In the formation of the Universe has contributed in the same manner the electromagnetic interaction and its diverse manifestations. With the introduction of the X-ray studies we have come literally with an attack from plasma physics to the study of our Universe. The test of any scientific theory is based upon the relationship between its predictions and observations. Let's see how well the big bang has done:

Many cosmologists think that nearly 99 percent of the universe is unobservable and made of dark matter. The universe we do see, the stars, galaxies, and literally everything else, only constitutes about 1 or 2 percent of the total amount of matter in the universe. The rest is some strange and unknown form of matter, particles that are necessary for the big bang theory to work. Theorists realized that there is just too little matter in the universe for the gravitational forces to have created the universe in the form that it's in today. So something has to create the needed gravity, hence the theory of dark matter. This idea was introduced about 20 years ago and has since become a fundamental part of the big bang cosmology.

Plasma is regarded as a fourth phase of matter, the other three being solid, liquid, and gas. It is a hot state of matter in which electrons have been stripped from atoms to leave positively charged ions, which mingle freely with the electrons. The Northern lights are a naturally occurring form of plasma, as is St. Elmo's fire. You've probably seen the “Eye of the Storm” or similar plasma balls in stores. They're those really cool objects that have the tiny electrical storms inside the glass spheres. When you bring your hand in contact with the glass surface, the bolts of plasma electricity inside react to ions surrounding your hand.

• It predicts that there should be no object older than 20 billion years and larger than 150 million light years across. And as we've discussed, that's certainly not the case.

• It predicts that the universe, on the large scale that it exists, should be smooth and homogeneous. It's not—it's clumpy!

• The third problem has to do with the strongest evidence in support of it, cosmic microwave background radiation. In order for the universe to produce the galaxies we see around us, the fluctuations found in the background radiation indicates that there must be a hundred times more dark matter than visible matter. But there is no experimental or observable evidence that dark matter exists. It's a theory to make the big bang work. So if there is no dark matter, the theory predicts that we can't have galaxies, but we live in one—the Milky Way.

So while the big bang predicts the things in the preceding list, observations have shown them to be incorrect. However, this is the accepted theory for now, and many scientists assume that it's right. To abandon it would not be easy. Few theories in science are ever left behind when there is no alternative in sight. So what are we left with? Well, there is a new alternative on the horizon. It's called plasma cosmology. Here's a basic idea of what it's about.

The advocates of plasma cosmology believe that the evolution of the universe in the past must be explained in terms of the processes occurring in the universe today. In other words, events that occur in the depths of space can be explained in terms of phenomena studied in the laboratories on earth. This approach rules out the concepts of a universe that began out of nothing, somewhere in time, like the big bang. We can't recreate the initial conditions of the big bang in laboratories. The closest we can get is in the particles created in accelerators. Plasma cosmology supports the idea that because we see an evolving universe that is constantly changing, this universe has always existed and has always evolved, and will continue to exist and evolve for eternity.

Another aspect of this new theory is that, while the big bang sees the universe in terms of gravity alone, the plasma universe is formed and controlled by electricity and magnetism, not just gravitation. With the introduction of electromagnetism the “clumpiness” of the universe and the fluctuations in microwave background radiation can be easily accounted for. Even the expansion of the universe can be explained by the electromagnetic interaction of matter and antimatter.