The “Plasma Crystal” experiment and science on the ISS.

In November, it was announced that the Plasma Crystal experiment on the ISS would be terminated. Special equipment for the experiment was placed on the cargo ship Albert Einstein and burned along with it over the Pacific Ocean. Thus ended the long story of probably the most famous space experiment. I want to talk about it and talk a little about science on the ISS in general.

Where are the discoveries?

First of all, you need to make a somewhat demotivating introduction. Modern science is not a computer game, where, in principle, there is no useless research, and each discovery provides a noticeable bonus. And, alas, the times have passed when a lone genius like Edison could alone invent many life-changing devices. Now science is a methodical movement blindly along all available paths, which is carried out by large organizations, lasts for years and can lead to zero results. Therefore, information about research on the ISS, which is published regularly, without adaptation into popular science, looks, frankly, very boring. At the same time, some of these experiments are really interesting, and, if they do not promise us instant fabulous results, they do give us hope for an improved understanding of how the world works and where we should go for new fundamental and applied discoveries.

Experiment idea

It is known that matter can exist in four phase states - solid, liquid, gaseous and plasma. Plasma is 99.9% of the mass of the Universe, from stars to interstellar gas. On Earth, plasma is lightning, northern lights and, for example, gas discharge lamps. Plasma containing dust particles is also very common - these are planetary rings, comet tails, interstellar clouds. And the idea of the experiment was to artificially create a plasma with dust microparticles and observe its behavior under conditions of earth gravity and microgravity.

In the first version of the experiment (in the picture), an ampoule with dusty plasma was illuminated by the rays of the Sun, the dust in the plasma was illuminated by a laser, and the illuminated area was filmed on camera. Subsequently, more complex experimental setups were used. The “black barrel” that burned down along with the “Albert Einstein” was already a third-generation installation.

results

Experiments in microgravity conditions met the hopes of scientists - the dusty plasma became crystalline in structure or exhibited the properties of liquids. Unlike an ideal gas, in which molecules move chaotically (see thermal motion), dusty plasma, being a gas, exhibits the properties of solid and liquid bodies - processes of melting and evaporation are possible.
At the same time, there were also unexpected discoveries. For example, a cavity could appear in the crystal. Why is still unknown.

But the most unexpected discovery was that the dusty plasma, under certain conditions, formed helical structures similar to DNA! Perhaps even the origin of life on Earth is somehow connected with dust plasma.

Prospects

The results of many years of research on the Plasma Crystal experiment show the fundamental possibility of:

Formation of nanomaterials with unique properties in dusty plasma.

Deposition of materials from dusty plasma onto a substrate and obtaining new types of coatings - multilayer, porous, composite.

Air purification from industrial and radiation emissions and during plasma etching of microcircuits.

Plasma sterilization of non-living objects and open wounds on living beings.

Sakharova T.A. (n-Kislyay settlement, MKOU Nizhnekislyayskaya secondary school named after Polyakov)

1. Artsimovich L.A. "Elementary Plasma Physics".

2. http://www.nkj.ru/archive/articles/1318/ (Science and life, CRYSTALS IN DUSTY PLASMA).

3. Robert L. Merlino. Experimental Investigations of Dusty Plasmas (English) (PDF). Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa (17 June 2005). – Historical review of dusty plasma research. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012.

4. Fortov V.E., A.G. Khrapak, S.A. Khrapak, V.I. Molotkov, O.F. Petrov. Dusty plasma (Russian) // UFN. – 2004. – T. 174. – P. 495–544.

5. Tsytovich V.N. Plasma-dust crystals, drops and clouds (Russian) // UFN. – 1997. – T. 167. – P. 57–99.

6. Dusty plasma // Encyclopedia of low-temperature plasma. – M.: Janus-K, 2006. – T. 1.

7. Fortov V.E. Plasma-dust crystals and liquids on Earth and in Space (Russian) // Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences. – 2005. – T. 75, No. 11. – P. 1012-1027.

8. Klumov B.A. On the melting criteria of complex plasma (Russian) // UFN. – 2010. – T. 180. – P. 1095–1108.

9. Video from YouTube “Studying field crystals in space.”

Plasma is the most common state of matter in nature: it is estimated that approximately 95% of ordinary matter in the Universe is in this state. Stars are clumps of plasma, ionized gas with temperatures of tens and hundreds of millions of degrees. The properties of plasma form the basis of modern technologies, the scope of which is extensive.

I took up this research work because I was interested in the fourth state of matter, which is still little studied in the modern world - plasma. I was fascinated by a phenomenon recently discovered in low-temperature plasma - the formation of a “plasma crystal”, that is, a spatially ordered structure of fine particles - plasma dust.

Target my research: obtaining low-temperature plasma through experiment, acquaintance with plasma field crystals.

Research objectives:

1. Expand knowledge about “plasma”.

2. Get low-temperature plasma at home.

3. Find out the areas of application of plasma.

4. Conduct an analysis of information obtained from various sources and experimental data.

The relevance of this work is that recently plasma physics has been an actively developing field of science, in which amazing discoveries are being made to this day, unusual phenomena are observed that require understanding and explanation. Discoveries in this area will improve the quality of human life: organize waste recycling; production of alternative energy; microchip production; increasing the strength of metals; invention of new plasma engines; defeat harmful microbes; improve the quality of color images in plasma panels; explain the evolution of the Universe, etc.

Working with information sources

History of the discovery of plasma

The fourth state of matter was discovered by W. Crookes (Fig. 1) in 1879 and called “plasma” by I. Langmuir (Fig. 2) in 1928, possibly due to associations with the fourth state of matter (plasma) with blood plasma.

Rice. 1. W. Krugson

Rice. 2. I. Langmuir

I. Langmuir wrote: “Excluding the space near the electrodes, where a small number of electrons is found, an ionized gas contains electrons and ions in almost equal quantities, as a result of which the total charge of the system is very small. "We use the term 'plasma' to describe this generally electrically neutral region of ions and electrons." .

Plasma concept

Plasma is a partially or fully ionized gas formed from neutral atoms (or molecules) and charged particles (ions and electrons). The most important feature of plasma is its quasineutrality, which means that the volume densities of positive and negative charged particles from which it is formed are almost the same.

A gas turns into a plasma state if some of its constituent atoms (molecules) for some reason have lost one or more electrons, i.e. turned into positive ions. In some cases, negative ions can also appear in the plasma as a result of the “attachment” of electrons to neutral atoms.

If there are no neutral particles left in the gas, the plasma is said to be fully ionized. Plasma obeys gas laws and behaves like a gas in many respects. At the same time, the behavior of plasma in a number of cases, especially when exposed to electric and magnetic fields, turns out to be so unusual that it is often referred to as a new fourth state of matter (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. The fourth state of matter

What is dusty plasma?

Dusty plasma is an ionized gas containing dust grains - particles of solid matter. Such plasma is often found in space: in planetary rings, comet tails, interplanetary and interstellar clouds (Fig. 4). It was discovered near artificial Earth satellites and in the near-wall region of thermonuclear installations with magnetic confinement, as well as in plasma reactors, arcs, and discharges.

Rice. 4. Plasma comet tail

Dust plasma was first obtained in laboratory conditions by the American Irving Langmuir back in the 20s of the last century. However, it began to be actively studied only in the last decade. Increased interest in the properties of dusty plasma arose with the development of technologies for plasma sputtering (Fig. 5) and etching in microelectronics (Fig. 6), as well as the production of thin films (Fig. 7) and nanoparticles (Fig. 8).

Rice. 5. Plasma spraying

Fig.6. Etching platinum in hydrogen

Rice. 7. Thin semiconductor film

Fig.8. Nanoparticles

Plasma crystal

The sizes of dust particles are relatively large - from fractions of a micron to several tens, sometimes hundreds of microns (Fig. 9). Their charge can be extremely large and exceed the charge of an electron by hundreds and even hundreds of thousands of times. As a result, the average Coulomb interaction energy of particles, proportional to the square of the charge, can greatly exceed their average thermal energy (Fig. 10). The result is a plasma that is called highly imperfect, since its behavior does not obey the laws of an ideal gas. (Recall that plasma can be considered an ideal gas if the interaction energy of particles is much less than their thermal energy).

Rice. 9. Plasma Crystal

Rice. 10. Coulomb interaction

Theoretical calculations of the equilibrium properties of dusty plasma show that, under certain conditions, strong electrostatic interaction “takes over” low thermal energy and forces charged particles to line up in space in a certain way. An ordered structure is formed, which is called a Coulomb or plasma crystal. Plasma crystals are similar to spatial structures in a liquid or solid (Fig. 11). Phase transitions such as melting and evaporation can occur here.

Rice. 11. Plasma crystal

If the dust plasma particles are large enough, the plasma crystal can be observed with the naked eye.

Obtaining low-temperature plasma at home

After some research into the properties and characteristics of plasma, I was able to conduct an experiment in producing low-temperature plasma at home (Video “Producing Plasma”). To do this, I needed the following equipment: microwave oven, windproof water match, glass jar.

Rice. 12. Preparatory stage

Progress of the experiment:

1. First, I removed the glass dish from the microwave oven on which the food rotates when heated. I prepared a match (Fig. 12).

2. Then I inserted a match into the center of the Microwave and lit it.

3. After that, I covered the match with a glass jar, then closed the microwave oven, turned it on, setting the food heating function (Fig. 13).

4. After a certain amount of time, you can see how plasma is formed in a glass jar with a lit match (Fig. 14).

Rice. 13. Match under a glass jar in a microwave oven

Rice. 14. Low temperature plasma

Thanks to this simple experiment, you can see how a gas is ionized under the influence of temperature and thereby produces a partially ionized plasma. If I was able to obtain low-temperature plasma so easily, then it can be obtained at enterprises, while the costs of obtaining it are minimal.

Conclusions

I managed to obtain low-temperature plasma at home. I expanded my knowledge on this issue and learned a lot of new and interesting things. I was very interested in this topic and I am sure that when I choose a profession, this research work will leave its mark.

"Chaotic" plasma is the 5th state of matter. Crystalline plasma is a state of "organized" plasma where it does not need to be contained by a magnetic field. The properties of plasma form the basis of modern technologies, the scope of which is extensive.

I believe that plasma is a symbol of the future, the most important industry, without which the further development of civilization is unthinkable. Plasma, in my opinion, is an alternative source of energy and a doctor of ecology.

Bibliographic link

Skoblikov A.A. OBTAINING LOW-TEMPERATURE PLASMA, INTRODUCTION TO PLASMA-FIELD CRYSTALS // Start in science. – 2016. – No. 2. – P. 133-136;
URL: http://science-start.ru/ru/article/view?id=51 (access date: 03/28/2019).

The ISS crew completed a unique experiment - News Feed - Finance.
Finance
Full address of the article:
http://finansmag.ru/12504
The ISS crew completed a unique experiment

As the ideological inspirer and scientific director of the experiment, Academician Vladimir Fortov, told the observer: “Plasma Crystal” is a joint Russian-German project. For many years now, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the International Max Planck Society have been conducting experiments on plasma freezing under zero-gravity conditions. Thanks to this, it was possible to obtain the so-called dusty plasma, which, in addition to electrons, ions and neutral particles, contains highly charged micron-sized dust grains, which contributes to the formation of ordered structures - plasma liquid or plasma crystals." Such formations are quite often found in outer space. They also appear in devices for thermonuclear fusion. “As soon as humanity learns to produce dusty plasma, it will receive the key to fundamentally new technologies. So, in particular, dust plasma can be used in microelectronics, for producing catalysts, growing artificial diamonds, converting nuclear energy into electrical energy,” says Academician Fortov. There are absolutely fantastic areas of application of dust plasma. According to a number of scientists, it can be used to create a so-called plasma vacuum cleaner that will neutralize radioactive emissions during nuclear accidents. Also, dust plasma can form the basis of a fundamentally new type of engines for spacecraft, which will make flights to other stellar worlds a reality.
New Izvestia
http://www.finansmag.ru/7911/12504/print/

Captain goes into space
Academician Vladimir Fortov: “Lectures are sacred!”

Based on the fact that “everything ingenious is simple,” could you clearly outline the essence of your unique space experiment? Excuse me, I’ll turn to the cheat sheet to quote - “on the formation of quasicrystalline ordered structures in plasma.”
- There are four aggregate states of matter in nature: solid (particles gather into a crystalline structure, and a lattice is formed), liquid, gaseous and plasma. But there are conditions under which plasma can be frozen. We take micron-sized particles, give them a large electric charge - and they line up again in a lattice. We hope that, using them, it is possible to grow artificial diamonds, create nuclear power sources, combat radioactive field emissions, and carry out effective catalysis of chemical reactions.

Moscow's comsomolets
from 01/23/2006
Interviewed by Isabella SAVICHEVA.
http://www.mk.ru/numbers/2001/article68423.htm

The ISS crew can help a team of scientists win the Nobel Prize for the vacuum cleaner of the future

2005-02-02 10:49:43

“Plasma Crystal” is the result of cooperation between the Russian Institute of Thermophysics of Extreme States (ITEK) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the German Institute of Extraterrestrial Physics (IVF), and the “godfathers” of the experiment were RAS academician Vladimir Fortov and IVF professor Gregor Morfill. The results of the experiment, scientists note, will make it possible to create a “vacuum cleaner” for the targeted neutralization of radioactive emissions into the atmosphere during nuclear accidents, as well as to develop powerful compact nuclear power sources for spacecraft.

A “vacuum cleaner” will work on the ISS

On Earth, the processes occurring in such structures are distorted by gravity, while in space this influence is absent. In the near future, all this will find quite earthly application - in microelectronics, the design of nanostructures, the creation of nuclear batteries and the development of new types of energy. In addition, the experiment will open new horizons in medicine - in particular, dentistry: with the help of plasma-dust technologies, it is possible to create fundamentally new materials for filling and prosthetics.
Yulia Mamina
On the verge of the impossible 5(362), 2005
http://anomalia.narod.ru/text8/353.htm

The International Space Plasma Center opened today in Korolev, Moscow Region.
The results of the experiment, which, according to many scientists, is worthy of a Nobel Prize, will make it possible, in particular, to create new compact energy batteries and lasers, as well as develop a technology for growing diamonds in microgravity conditions. ITAR-TASS reports this.
08.02.05 15:39
http://www.newseducation.ru/news/2/20050208/9126.shtm

Experiments on the ISS will help create a new generation nuclear battery

"Plasma Crystal" is held jointly by Russia and Germany. The cost of the experiment is more than one million euros per year. As the scientific director of the Plasma Crystal program on the Russian side, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fortov, told RIA Novosti, the first results of the experiment have already been obtained.

“Based on research on the Plasma Crystal project, we expect, together with the Kurchatov Institute, to create a nuclear battery with a service life of 30-40 years, a power of 10-20 kilowatts, and an efficiency of about 30 percent,” Fortov said. The battery, he said, will serve space communications satellites.
To date, it has already been possible to design individual elements of the nuclear battery of the future. “Together with the Kurchatov Institute, we have created individual elements that work independently, and now the task is to combine them into a single whole, that is, to assemble a battery,” Fortov noted.
In addition, the results of the experiment, according to the academician, will also be used in the design of a thermonuclear reactor, which must be periodically cleaned of dust. It was previously reported that they would also make it possible to create a “vacuum cleaner” for the targeted neutralization of radioactive emissions into the atmosphere during nuclear accidents.

They recently succeeded in identifying new states of plasma in zero-gravity conditions during the Plasma Crystal experiment on the International Space Station. The resulting molecularly “disordered” substance, in which the atoms move chaotically, under certain conditions is capable of turning into, for example, diamonds. But for now this production can only be established in space. By the way, the first experiment to obtain plasma-dust crystals was carried out at the Mir station by Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyov and Pavel Vinogradov in January 1998.

And the cosmonaut researchers of the current expedition have already managed to obtain a plasma crystal. Scientists observed its formation with their own eyes, without a microscope, since the distance between the particles of the new mineral is quite large.

“During experiments in orbit, we learned to arrange atomic lattices in the required order and are quite capable of growing artificial diamonds,” said Academician Fortov. - If this continues, diamonds will soon cost no more than ordinary jewelry.

But the second part of the experiment conducted in space is even more promising. Scientists have confirmed the idea of creating powerful power sources from frozen plasma, which the Institute of Thermophysics calls nuclear batteries for spacecraft.

Capable of operating only in conditions of weightlessness, compact batteries will provide energy for flights to any corner of the solar system.
Vitaly TETERYATNIK
http://www.gudok.ru/index.php/print/32010

Parliamentary newspaper No. 790 for 8/23/01
Category: sensations of the 21st century
Crystals from space

# Everything happens in a strange way, # continues Academician Fortov, # but nevertheless it happens. And naturally, the classic of science drew attention to this phenomenon. There was such a Wiener, he calculated the free energy of particles, and it was he who suggested to all of us that plasma has a tendency to move from chaotic motion to ordered one. Moreover, she does this of her own free will, and not under duress. It was called #nonideal plasma#.
It would seem that everything should be different. If plasma itself tries to #put itself in order#, then it should be called #ideal#. I don't think much proof is needed. It is enough to watch a woman getting ready to go to the theater or on a visit. But physicists have their own logic: the more a substance or phenomenon #deviates # from the standard, the more it attracts their attention. The name #imperfect plasma# immediately attracts them. However, their logic is clear: men's attention is always attracted either by a very beautiful woman, or, on the contrary, by a # not very, generally # non-standard one.

And Academician Fortov continues:

# 98 percent of all matter in nature exists in a highly compressed plasma state. To obtain such a state, you need strong pressures # millions and billions of atmospheres, # and high temperatures. Processes occur in instantaneous # fractions of a second, and they need to be measured using different methods. Few people know how to do this, primarily us and the Americans. Those who made nuclear weapons. This is high energy density physics. First, the matter must be strongly compressed, and then it begins to fly apart. One of the options for this process is a nuclear explosion. So... Quite recently, literally in recent years, people have noticed that it is not necessary to imitate the processes that occur in stars, that is, to achieve ultra-high pressures and temperatures. You can do it completely differently, in a cunning way... But it turns out to be a very beautiful thing!

# Maybe it's beautiful, but it's still not clear what you mean!

# If I have a plasma # standard, standard, ordinary, for example, like in the same fluorescent lamp, and I pour dust into it, then each speck of dust will be charged to a potential of one or two electron volts. The dust grains will begin to interact... and I get in the laboratory the very processes that occur in stars.

# But in insignificant quantities?!

# And this is where the fun begins! I take an ordinary fluorescent lamp (coarsened, of course), make it burn unevenly and pour powder into it and thus I get an imperfect plasma. I can see what is happening in it with my own eyes: I observe shock waves, changes in the type of lattice...

# Stop! It was stated by physicists that there are processes that cannot be modeled. In particular, we talked about some plasma states. Are you saying this was a mistake?

# I do not assert, but demonstrate many physical phenomena...

# Why were experiments in space necessary?

# The particles are quite heavy, and therefore gravity makes it possible to obtain only one or two layers, # the scientist answers, # but in space you get a three-dimensional structure.

# How did you manage to get into orbit? They say that there are too many people interested, and most of them don’t have money. Therefore, preference is given to foreigners... Did they help this time?

# Tell the truth? Okay... My past played a major role... Where did I come from? From the native military-industrial complex. I worked at the Research Institute of Thermal Processes. And now all my friends are at the head of space programs, and, of course, old connections helped... But nevertheless, I would not have been able to get into space if the work was not worth it. Together with the Germans, they made the installation; it weighs little, and therefore is attractive to any space workers. It seems that there are few worries, but there is an opportunity to tell them that they are doing great science. So the interests of many people and organizations coincided, which helped us enter orbit. First, two experiments were carried out on #Mir #...

The Americans were very surprised when they learned that the Russians had such a unique research facility in their module. They knew about its existence, moreover, # the astronauts got acquainted with the # Crystal #, but they expected to start working with it in five years, that is, when the assembly of the ISS was completed. In the meantime, the main focus in astronaut training is on installation work.

We must pay tribute to Sergei Krikalev, one of the most experienced cosmonauts not only in Russia, but also in the United States. He flew both as part of our crews and American ones. Sergei has a special passion for scientific experiments; he understands that they are the basis of astronautics, and for their sake he chose this profession. His enthusiasm and energy played perhaps the main role in the success of #Plasma Crystal#. But, by the way, he also had a very reliable assistant: Yuri Gidzenko worked flawlessly both during ground training and in orbit. The commander of the first long-term expedition to the ISS, William Sheppard, although he went through the entire training cycle under this program, still remained indifferent to it: as a true space commander, he was primarily concerned about the technology and the good mood of the crew. Both were normal, and therefore Sheppard encouraged his fellow expedition members to become fascinated by the #Crystal.

The results exceeded all expectations and caused a sensation among physicists! There are many more supporters of the ISS flight, especially in Germany. There, the joint Russian-German experiment aroused such enthusiasm as if something supernatural had happened. Or maybe that's true?

And again the commentary of academician Vladimir Fortov:

# First: I just take my hat off to guys like our cosmonauts. I think that they could well defend a dissertation on this work # after all, they gave impetus to a new direction...

# I heard this idea is worth a billion dollars?

# Yes, rumors travel very quickly these days!

# And they have a reason?

Fortov laughs. But then he says quite seriously:

# I will not hide: indeed, today we are talking about a billion dollars. This is what we expect to create. This is primarily a joint Russian-German research institute, which will conduct work on plasma physics. I am a member of the German Academy, G. Morfill is a member of our Academy. What's wrong if two academicians create one institute to work together? In my opinion, this idea is fully consistent with the current idea of scientific cooperation. Research, in particular, will take place on board the ISS. At the same time, we will create a virtual space laboratory. We have sent proposals to all countries of the world, the meaning of which is very simple: we have installations on board the ISS, and we are ready to provide them for certain projects. Experts evaluate specific proposals and the best ones are selected. The European Space Agency is ready to finance this work... So there are ideas, and with our first work on board the ISS we have proven that we can implement them at the highest scientific level. So information about the decline of science in Russia is still very premature...

Innovation portal
Ural Federal District
WWW.INVUR.RU

February 07-14
02/09/2005 International Space Plasma Center opens in the Moscow region
KING The International Space Plasma Center opened yesterday in Korolev, Moscow Region. As stated in the Russian Institute of Thermophysics of Extreme States (ITEK) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, “the founders of the center, in addition to ITEC, were the German Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics of the Max Planck Society, headed by Professor Gregor Morfill, and the Russian Space Corporation (RSC) Energia, led by General Designer Yuri Semenov ".

“Salizhan Sharipov began on February 2 on board the International Space Station the final 12th session of the Plasma Crystal experiment in the field of dust plasma physics using PK-3 equipment,” the Mission Control Center said. “Sharipov will discuss the results of this unique scientific project today during a direct communication session “TsUP-ISS” with the Minister of Education and Scientific Research of Germany Edelgard Buhlmann, as well as with the “godfather” of the experiment - Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fortov,” the source noted.
(…)
The results of the experiment, which, according to many scientists, is worthy of a Nobel Prize, will make it possible, in particular, to create new compact energy batteries and lasers and develop a technology for growing diamonds in microgravity conditions. ITAR-TASS reports this.
http://www.invur.ru/print.php?page=news&id=10429

Work No. 024 for 02/11/2005

DENTAL FILLINGS FROM SPACE
“Dust plasma is a new, previously unknown state of matter,” explained the head of the program, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fortov. - This is a plasma containing not only electrons, ions and neutral particles, but also highly charged micron-sized dust particles. The interaction of these particles leads, in particular, to the formation of ordered structures, which we call plasma-dust crystals. On Earth, the processes occurring in such structures are distorted by gravity, but in space this influence is absent. In the near future, the results of the experiment will find quite earthly application - in microelectronics, in the creation of nuclear batteries and the development of new types of energy. In addition, the experiment will open new horizons in medicine - in particular, dentistry: with the help of plasma-dust technologies, it is possible to create fundamentally new materials for dental fillings and prosthetics.

Diamond from dust
Date: 02/24/2005
Topic: Science and technology

Frozen plasma will be used to treat teeth

Russian physicists have done what was considered impossible just yesterday - they have “frozen” plasma. These are the results of an experiment conducted on the International Space Station.
Scientists say they can grow huge and incredibly pure diamonds in space.
Russian and German physicists have achieved a paradoxical state of matter. This is crystalline plasma. The result of the experiments is undoubtedly sensational and, according to scientists, deserves a Nobel Prize.
Salizhan Sharipov and Leroy Chiao, who work on the ISS, showed how dusty plasma turns into crystal. The experiment is carried out in a vacuum chamber into which micrometer-sized dust particles are introduced and where plasma is created. Under the influence of an electron field in weightlessness, an ideal crystalline structure is born from chaos. Particles are observed using special lasers.

Scientists working on this program and astronauts are not surprised by this result. The experiment began at the Russian Mir station and was carried out in an ordinary glass flask. Then, studying the first results, experts on Earth said: “There is no such state of matter.” Now there is no need to prove this. Today we are talking about the practical application of this discovery.

There is an idea to create a powerful nuclear battery for communications satellites that will operate for more than 30 years. Scientists also expect to create a “vacuum cleaner” to remove radioactive emissions during various types of accidents.

“The main problem of Chernobyl was dust. It had to be collected. Charged dust can be collected from a volume by an electric field, which is why in jargon it is called a “vacuum cleaner,” says RAS academician Vladimir Fortov.

There are already implemented ideas: based on research, new lasers and special installations have been created that are used in dentistry to combat caries, as well as ideal semiconductors for microelectronics. In addition, in space, huge crystals, unlike those on Earth, are “baked” from diamond dust. “The distance between parts of crystals is tens of thousands of times greater than in a solid,” says Academician Fortov. - This means that you can see all the processes that occur in the body with your own eyes. You don't need X-rays."

COMPUTERRA:
Research on the Plasma Crystal program will continue

Carrying out this unique experiment on the ISS
"http://rian.ru/technology/20050208/22323428.html " target="_blank"
costs approximately one million euros per year, its financing
carried out in half by Germany and Russia. Despite the great
cost of the experiment, scientists are confident of its necessity, since
The results obtained will make it possible to create compact power supplies with
very long service life, as well as new systems for purifying substances.

According to Fortov, based on research on the Plasma project
crystal" a nuclear battery with a service life of 30-40 years will be created and
power 10-20 kW with an efficiency factor of about 30%, in
The Kurchatov Institute will take part in the implementation of this project. IN
It has now been possible to construct individual elements of a nuclear
batteries of the future, and now the task of combining them into a single
whole.
http://computerra-info.msk.ru/fido7.ru.computerra/8449.html

Academicians booed the minister
Andrey Kondrashov

...Academician Fortov. He explains to President Putin the principle of operation of electromagnetic weapons, they have been working on it for years, and now they have it. The same institute studies dusty plasma; it fills interstellar space. After 10 years of research, they learned how to control plasma. In another ten years, a revolution in the world energy sector is possible. Or it’s no longer possible, the scientist suddenly stops short. Much now depends not on devices.
http://www.websib.ru/noos/economy/news/05-06-03i.htm

Extreme Forts
Why are our “bad” ideas literally torn apart in the West, but here no one needs them?
Yuri Medvedev
Publication date February 8, 2005

RG Today, the German Minister of Science is opening a Russian-German research center on plasma physics in Moscow, where the work of your institute is presented. What is their essence?

Fortov I'll have to remember school. From the physics course, four states of matter are known: solid, liquid, gaseous and plasma. The transition to each next state is accompanied by increasing heating and loss of order in the structure of the substance. At one time, Nobel laureate Wigner put forward the idea that plasma could be “frozen.” Our great theorists Landau and Zeldovich considered a similar possibility. They also indicated the way: the energy of interaction of particles in a plasma must be greater than its temperature. But the classics did not explain how to do this specifically.
Recently, such a method was found. We introduce dust particles into the plasma. Under certain conditions, they accumulate a huge charge. It provides such energy of particle interaction that dust grains line up into crystals. The result is a kind of “frozen” plasma.

RG Why are experiments taking place in space, on the ISS?

“No” to digital stratification in Russia!
D.V.

This is what the participants in Russia’s first International Seminar “Problems of Overcoming the Digital Divide in Russia and the CIS Countries” said. It took place on November 28 at the press center of the Government House of the Russian Federation. Interested parties from Chelyabinsk, Tomsk, Perm and other large cities of the country participated remotely in the seminar.

All the announced speakers, surprisingly, appeared as one, but not all were able to speak due to lack of time. However, the organizers, primarily the Department of Government Information of the Government of the Russian Federation, promised to release a collection of all prepared reports (information about the collection can be obtained at [email protected] or [email protected].

The topics for discussion proposed to the participants sounded rather tricky:

Definition of the concept of “digital inequality” (“digital divide”);

National Digital Divide Measurement;

Assessment of the situation and trends on a global scale;

Economic, political, legal, social, technological, cultural, educational and other aspects of the problem;

The place and role of the state in solving the problems of digital inequality;

Civil society institutions and business in the context of global and national information processes;

International and national initiatives, projects, solutions, experience.

Academician Vladimir Fortov convinced the audience that fundamental research was being conducted in Russia on quantum computers, quantum teleportation and other new physical methods of computing and transmitting information. We are very strong, he said, in the field of electromagnetic emitters - military weapons in information wars. Our other advantage over everyone is a wonderful system of higher education, especially in physics and mathematics. For example, the academician took the theory of functions of complex variables in his second year at MIPT. And imagine his surprise when he visited American universities and learned that only graduate students study this theory there. I wonder what our graduate students study then?

The questions of the questionnaire “Yesterday, today, tomorrow” (see “Science and Life” Nos. 9, 12, 2004; Nos. 1, 2, 3, 2005) are answered by famous scientists - the authors of “Science and Life” .

1. Please describe the state of the field of science in which you work, what was it like about 20 years ago? What research was carried out then, what scientific results were the most significant? Which of them have not lost their relevance today (what remains in the foundation of the building of modern science)?

2. Describe the current state of the field of science and technology in which you work. What works of recent years do you consider the most important and of fundamental importance?

3. What milestones will your field of science reach in 20 years? What fundamental problems do you think can be solved, what problems will concern researchers at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century?
IN THE PHYSICS OF EXTREME STATES WE ARE STILL LEADERS
Academician V. FORTOV, Director of the Institute of Thermophysics of Extreme States of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

We occupy a leading position in the study of Coulomb ordering in highly nonideal dusty plasmas. The conditions for Coulomb “freezing” were realized and plasma liquids and crystals were obtained. Large-scale work is underway on thermal, electric discharge, nuclear, beam and optical methods for generating dusty plasma, including experiments on the International Space Station.

Researchers from the scientific school of academicians A.V. Gaponov-Grekhov and G.A. Mesyats obtained pioneering results on the generation of record high (multi-gigawatt) powers of microwave radiation and proposed the most interesting practical applications of these devices.

Speaking about theoretical work, I would note the extension of numerical methods of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics to the description of quantum phenomena. Very advanced methods for calculating non-stationary gas-dynamic phenomena in dense plasma media have appeared.

I hope that the period of stagnation in our science will end, and I am confident that in 20 years the physics of extreme states will not lose relevance. After all, we are talking about understanding the most general, fundamental processes in nature and science, about the fundamentals of energy technologies.

In the near future, it will apparently be possible to register the thermodynamic manifestations of phase transitions in highly compressed nonideal plasma.

Powerful femtosecond and attosecond lasers will make it possible to move up the pressure scale into the ultramegabar - gigabar range, where it will be possible to see experimental manifestations of “shell” effects, new phase transformations of matter, study the kinetics of ultrafast and athermal phase transitions and the mechanics of high-speed deformation, destruction and melting at negative pressures . Experimenters will have devices for generating ultra-high energy concentrations, which will make it possible to study relativistic plasma, spontaneous creation of electron-positron pairs, gigagauss magnetic fields, build plasma accelerators, study nuclear reactions in hot plasma beams and many other phenomena that we cannot even now imagine.

The legendary experiment, which began at the Soviet orbital station Mir, was continued on the ISS with new equipment. A unique device that was recently delivered on board the space station is an additional gas flow regulator device. It will make it possible to obtain more accurate results during an experiment studying plasma and will increase its purity. Data about what dusty plasma is will make it possible to obtain previously unknown information about the Universe, create compact energy batteries and lasers, develop a new technology for growing diamonds, and also serve as the basis for the development of plasma medicine.

Any substance can exist in four phase states - solid, liquid, gaseous and plasma. Plasma makes up more than 99% of the visible mass of the Universe, from stars to interstellar gas. Plasma containing dust particles is very common in space - these are planetary rings, comet tails, interstellar clouds.

The study of plasma with microparticles several microns in size (dust particles) and observation of its behavior in microgravity conditions, in which almost complete compensation of the weight of microparticles occurs, has been going on for more than two decades. Back in January 1998, at the Russian Mir orbital complex, cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyov and Pavel Vinogradov conducted the first experiment on the Plasma Crystal-1 (PK-1) installation to study the physics of plasma-dust structures, including plasma crystals and liquids. In August of the same year, Mir began conducting research using PK-2 equipment, consisting of a gas-discharge tube and a device for video recording the experiment. In March 2001, Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko conducted the first session of the experiment on the ISS using the PK-3 installation, created jointly by Russian and German specialists. The first experiments on the new installation "Plasma Crystal-4", also created jointly by scientists from the Joint Institute for High Temperatures (JIHT) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the German Space Agency (DLR), began in June 2015. During the research process, the need to improve this installation was identified. In July of this year, additional equipment was delivered to the ISS to improve the quality of the Plasma Crystal-4 experiment.

The goal of scientists is to obtain and study plasma-dust crystals and other ordered structures in plasma. In particular, this makes it possible to study the laws of processes occurring in protostars, protoplanetary rings and other celestial bodies. During the experiments, microscopic particles of a certain size (several micrometers in diameter) are introduced into a neon or argon plasma in a gas discharge tube. When microparticles enter the plasma, they collect electrons and positive ions, resulting in a negative charge due to higher electron mobility. Microparticles repel each other and form various three-dimensional structures. Such studies cannot be carried out on Earth, since dust particles are subject to gravity and can form either two-dimensional structures or highly deformed (compressed) three-dimensional structures.

Despite the fact that over the twenty-year history of dusty plasma research has yielded a lot of new interesting data, it has not yet been possible to create a complete mathematical model of the behavior of self-organizing particles. New equipment developed by scientists from the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences and DLR will allow for cleaner experiments by reducing the gas flow that forms the plasma by tens of times. Now it is possible to expand the range of gas pressures and gain new knowledge about processes in dusty plasma.

When microparticles are in plasma, they are subject to a number of forces. One of the main ones is electrical, affecting the particle in the discharge field. The second is the force of ion entrainment. The third is friction with gas: if a body enters the atmosphere, then it loses speed precisely because of it, Andrei Lipaev, a senior researcher at the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia. - Accordingly, when we organize a flow mode, a kind of wind arises that carries away the particles. The device, which was originally used to block the flow, during operation in the difficult conditions of the space experiment began to produce a significant gas leak, and the particles were simply carried away by the flow.

To solve this problem, specialists from JIHT RAS and DLR have developed an additional device that allows you to fully control the gas flow using an external pressure regulator and two additional valves. In this way, a stable position of the particles can be achieved. As a result, scientists had the opportunity to fully control the experimental conditions.

We can say that until now we simply could not obtain the necessary control over the gas flow and, therefore, quality results. Previously, it was simply impossible to work with particles smaller than 3 microns. Meanwhile, it is particles about 1 micron in size that are interesting from the point of view of studying processes such as, for example, the formation of structures, noted Andrey Lipaev.

New equipment has already been installed on the ISS, and the image is transmitted from board to the Mission Control Center. Employees of the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences receive telemetry and video of the experiment, and audio communication channels with the ISS board are also working - you can hear how negotiations are taking place. A new multi-day experiment using additional equipment to study dust particles in plasma was recently completed and lived up to expectations. Now scientists will conduct a detailed analysis of its results.

As Oleg Petrov, director of the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia, the data obtained during the experiment will help to understand the essence of self-organization processes.

The system we are studying is an open dissipative system: there is a constant influx of energy and a constant outflow. Such systems are characteristic of all living organisms. What is happening to this system, what phenomena of self-organization are there in it? All this can and should be explored,” noted Oleg Petrov.

Data about what constitutes dusty plasma can be of great practical benefit: they will allow, in particular, to create new compact energy batteries and lasers and develop technology for growing diamonds in microgravity conditions. Also, data coming from on board the ISS is important for the development of plasma medicine, the essence of which is that low-temperature plasma can initiate, stimulate and control complex biochemical processes in living systems.

The PK-4 experiment is carried out with the support of Roscosmos and the European Space Agency.

The case about the so-called “plasma crystal” by academician Vladimir Fortov

Subject of discussion:
The “Plasma Crystal” project (plasma-dust crystals in microgravity conditions), real and imaginary prospects for its application, circumstances associated with the “plasma crystal”.

Materials can be found in the topics:
"Scam: Vacuum Klondike of the Academy of Sciences",
“Attention to the MEGABRAZH committee. We discuss torsion fields, nanoworlds, plasma crystals, superstrings,”
“Quote on the plasma crystal of academician Fortov”).

A short popular description of the plasma crystal project:
“If I have a plasma, standard, standard, ordinary, for example, like in the same fluorescent lamp, and I pour dust into it, then each speck of dust will be charged to a potential of one or two electron volts. The dust grains will begin to interact... and in laboratory conditions I get the very processes that occur in stars" (Academician Vladimir Fortov. Interview with the Parliamentary Newspaper, No. 790 for 8/23/01 Category: sensations of the 21st century Crystals from space)

A short list of promises for the plasma crystal project
A) Creation of a new generation nuclear battery
B) Production of pure water diamonds several centimeters in size
B) Production of highly purified drugs
D) Carrying out highly efficient chemical catalysis
D) Elimination of radioactive emissions during nuclear disasters
E) Creation of a new type of engine for interstellar flights

Description of experiments:
"SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE RUSSIAN SEGMENT
TECHNICAL EXPERIMENTS AND RESEARCH
EXPERIMENT "PLASMA CRYSTAL"
Scientific supervisor: Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.E. Forts

Scientific equipment used:
Equipment "Plasma Crystal-3":
Experimental block.
- Discharge frequency of the generated plasma - 13.56 MHz
- Gas pressure in the working chamber - 0.03 - 0.1 mm Hg. Art.
- Density of monodisperse particles - 1.5 g/cc
- Dust particle sizes - 3.4 and 6.9 microns
Turbopump;
Telescience equipment for controlling the process and recording the results of the experiment.

Consumables:
Hi-8 video cassettes for recording the process of formation of plasma-dust structures;
PCMCIA card for recording experiment parameters (gas pressure, RF radiation power, dust particle sizes, etc.).

Target:
Stage 1a. Study of plasma-dust structures in gas-discharge plasma of a high-frequency capacitive discharge.
Stage 1b. Study of plasma-dust structures in the plasma of a DC glow discharge.
Stage 2. Study of the impact of the UV spectrum of cosmic radiation on the behavior of an ensemble of macroparticles charged by photoemission.
Stage 3. Study of plasma-dust structures in open space under the influence of UV radiation from the Sun, plasma flows and ionizing radiation.

Tasks:
Study of physical phenomena in plasma-dust crystals at various levels of inert gas pressure and RF generator power in microgravity conditions
Expected results:
Development of technology for the formation and control of ordered structures of charged solid dust microparticles in plasma"
(according to the official message of RSC Energia)

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Secretariat of the Megarazor Committee