Plasma Televisions

Plasma- "Plasma is often called the "Fourth State of Matter", the other three being solid, liquid and gas. A plasma is a distinct state of matter containing a significant number of electrically charged particles, a number sufficient to affect its electrical properties and behavior." ( http://www.plasmatvscience.org/whatisplasma.html )

• A gas becomes a plasma when a significant number of atoms release some or all of their electrons because of the introduction of heat or another form of energy.

• These remaining charged atoms are "ionized" and when enough of them are in this state, the substance is plasma

• The electrical characteristics of the gas are altered significantly with ionization

Plasma in Television:

Plasma in the television industry has been a relatively new trend and consumers are finding the technology as a great alternative to the more bulky CRT televisions despite higher prices. The reasons plasma televisions can be so much thinner is behind the screen.

The television lights up tiny pixels with a high energy beam of electrons. In most televisions, there are three pixels colors (red, green and blue). These colors are evenly distributed on the screen. The television then able to create an entire spectra of colors using combinations of these three colors.

More Closely:

The electrical current running through the plasma, causes negatively charged particles to rush toward the positively charged area of the plasma while the positively charged particles rush toward the negatively charged area. During this this hectic process, particles constantly bump into one another, excited the gas particles in the plasma and causing them to release photons of energy.

The photons which are released are ultra-violet and not visible to the human eye, but these photons directly excite visible light photons. Xenon and neon are the gases used for this type of television. These gases are contained in hundreds of thousands of tiny cells placed between two plates of glass along with long electrodes positioned on either side. The electrodes are used to excite certain sections of the cells by a computer which directs the ionization of the gas. The ultraviolet photons released then interact with phosphor material coated on the inside of the cell. When the phosphor atoms jump down from an excited state, energy is released in the form of visible light.

Advantages:

• Producers are able to create a very wide screen using very thin materials. 

• Since every pixel is lit individually, the image can be very bright and be seen from almost any angle.

Disadvantages:

• The price. Stickers range from $4,000.00 to $20,000 and they're not getting any cheaper for the foreseeable future.

• Image quality still isn't up to the standards of the best cathode ray tube (CRT) sets.

http://websites.uk-plc.net/COULA_ELECTRONICS/

http://www.plasmatvscience.org/