Abstract
The nonideality of an ionized gas associates with the Coulomb energy which attains a maximum at some intermediate temperature as may readily be demonstrated for a thermally ionized gas via the Saha equation. Such imperfect gases may on free expression be accompanied by dramatic reduction of temperature far beyond analogous response of a neutral gas where much weaker van der Waals forces are at work. Within the limitations of approximate equations of state for ionized gases, the Joule-Thomson (J.T.) phenomenon is characterized. Once again the central role of the Debye length emerges as it proves to be a key parameter in the behavior of the J.T. coefficient. Adiabatic heating as well as the coolant action are discussed and certain interesting features illuminated such as the self-quenching mechanism which inhibits heating of the plasma. The role of the J.T. phenomenon in connection with MHD devices, re-entry physics, refrigerant action in sunspots, hightemperature production, etc., is briefly entered into.
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