plasmoidn.
/ˈplazmɔɪd/, U.S. /ˈplæzˌmɔɪd/ Physics and Astronomy.
A coherent mass of plasma (ionized gas).
ΘΚΠ
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plasmon1955
plasmoid1956
1956 W. H. Bostick in Physical Rev. 114 292/1 The plasma is emitted not as an amorphous blob, but in the form of a torus... We shall take the liberty of calling this toroidal structure a plasmoid, a word which means plasma-magnetic entity. The word plasmoid will be employed as a generic term for all plasma-magnetic entities.
1962 F. E. Riley & J. D. Sailor Space Syst. Engin. v. 129 Techniques have been developed..whereby doughnut-shaped ‘blobs’ of plasma or plasmoids can be projected by magnetic forces at speeds exceeding 107 cm/sec.
1971 S. Singer Nature of Ball Lightning viii. 119 Spherical plasmoids of relatively small dimensions, such as those reported for ball lightning or involved in experimental work, have presented greater difficulty for theoretical analysis.
1993 D. A. Bryant in R. Dendy Plasma Physics 223 Some measurements have been interpreted in terms of sporadic reconnection in the equatorial plasmasheet at distances of 20 Re, or so, with the formation of break-away clouds of plasma known as plasmoids.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1956