plasmaswhere

Plasmaswhere is a term encountered in some discussions of plasma physics to describe the spatial locus of plasma states within a system. It is not a formal term in mainstream literature, but it is used as a conceptual shorthand to discuss where plasmas exist and how their properties vary with position.

Definition: A plasmaswhere refers to the set of coordinates where local plasma criteria are met—typically ionization above a threshold, free-electron density and temperature sufficient to sustain collective behavior, and electromagnetic coupling that supports plasma waves and currents.

Examples span both laboratory and natural settings. In the solar corona, coronal loops and active regions mark plasmaswhere; in a tokamak, the core and edge have different plasmaswhere due to gradients in temperature and density; in space, H II regions around young stars and planetary ionospheres are discrete plasmaswhere. The concept helps contrast regions with visibly different plasma characteristics within the same overall environment.

Diagnostics to map plasmaswhere include spectroscopy for composition and temperature, optical interferometry for density, and Thomson scattering for local temperature; in laboratory settings, Langmuir probes are common, while space-based measurements rely on remote sensing and in situ particle detectors. These tools help delineate where plasma behavior dominates and where it transitions to a non-plasma state.

As a concept, plasmaswhere emphasizes the environmental dependence of plasma states and the importance of spatial structure in modeling plasmas. It serves mainly as a descriptive aid rather than a formal category, with researchers typically describing plasmas by parameters and region types.