Forgive the basic question but can plasma be forced into a crystal?

[meatsac]

Is it unlikely that a fusor could force plasma into a crystal state? The reason I ask is that I saw this picture on the internet site listed below. Could someone explain what typically happens to deuterium plasma in a fusor? From my reading it seems that all/most electrons are stripped in a plasma, then when the plasma cools to a gas the electrons just go back to the protons, nuetrons?

Thanks, Matt

Plasma crystals are a newly discovered phenomenon (Physical Review Letters, 1994) whereby large particles in an electrical plasma self-assemble into orderly arrangements due to collective interactions. see http://www.sandia.gov/pcnsc/departments ... stals.html

[Chris Bradley]

Plasma crystals are fascinating, but quite different to 'hot' plasmas. I think the field dates back further than your link suggests, too.

The plasma in a plasma crystal is to solids as the plasma in a fusor is to gases.

I kicked off a discussion on possible connections to fusion here;

download_thread.php?site=fusor&bn=fusor ... 1231518834

I should add - your link is discussing a somewhat different phenomena where stuff, like dust particles, get together and behave collectively. This is not the plasma atoms themselves behaving collectively, but particles within the plasma. Nonetheless, the plasma atoms themselves can become 'crystals', as per my previous thread discussion.