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On the Direct Generation of Electricity from Heat in Plasmas via a Self‐Organization Process
Author(s) -
Psimopoulos M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/andp.19874990609
Subject(s) - plasma , thermomagnetic convection , nernst effect , physics , electric field , magnetic field , temperature gradient , mechanics , electron , thermal energy , electricity , nernst equation , thermodynamics , electrode , quantum mechanics
By combining the Nernst effect with the law of Ampere, it is shown that if a temperature gradient is present in a plasma, an electric current can be self‐sustained due to the transformation of thermal into electromagnetic field energy. We call the configuration in which the above phenomenon occurs the “thermomagnetic battery” and study its steady state operation for an infinite slab geometry assuming that the plasma is fully ionized and the magnetic field is weak (ω e τ e ≪ 1) so that the heat flow is mainly transferred by electrons.