vooluhulgasid

Vooluhulgasid is an Estonian term used in physics to denote gases that conduct electricity because the gas molecules are ionized. In practice, the concept covers plasmas and partially ionized gases, where free electrons and ions enable an electric current to flow under an applied field. Ionization can occur through electron impact, photoionization, or thermal processes, with the specific conditions depending on the gas type, pressure, and temperature.

Gases that qualify as vooluhulgasid exhibit properties characteristic of ionized media, such as higher electrical conductivity than neutral gas, the presence of charged particles, and collective behaviors like Debye shielding and plasma oscillations. Depending on the environment, these plasmas can be hot and highly ionized (as in stars or fusion devices) or cold and partially ionized (as in atmospheric-pressure plasmas used in various technologies).

Common examples include neon, argon, and helium discharges in lamps and tubes, atmospheric-pressure plasmas used for surface treatment or sterilization, and natural plasmas found in the ionosphere or solar wind. Applications span lighting, material processing, environmental remediation, and propulsion concepts that rely on electric discharges in gases.

The term vooluhulgasid is primarily used in Estonian-language texts; in many contexts the broader concept is described in English as plasma or ionized gas.