If a pig had a plasma bladder could it fly?

[paputsza]

I'm not a physicists, and I never will be, so I'm not sure if my theory goes in this part of the forum, and if it doesn't just move it to wherever in the physics forum it's appropriate.

 

One of my hobbies is writing, so in my AU which is not quite a fantasy story there are people that evolved from birds. I didn't want to have the same mass as birds or have four chamber hearts so I decided that the best attribute for them to have is a plasma bladder, which is kind of like a swim bladder in fish which can contain air, but it can instead contain plasma which the creature would absorb from the environment and produce inside of them. I want to know if this back story is physically possible considering the properties of plasma. My second question if there are any glaring drawbacks or limitation. Third question is if everything from before is fixed how would a flying city be possible.

 

Thank you very much for your time.

[Greg H.]

I would just use a hydrogen or helium bladder rather than plasma, tbh.

[Moontanman]

In fiction the only limitation should be to keep it internally consistent, after that have at it hoss! Check out "complete book of swords" by Saberhagin for an example of this principle, he makes it easy to believe in some wild things...

[CharonY]

I am not sure how plasma is going to help. Greg's proposal makes more sense to me.

[paputsza]

I was thinking that maybe plasma has a lower density than air but it's impractical according to Wikipedia. The problem with using hydrogen is that it would take up a lot of space inside of someone possibly?

[mathematic]

Plasmas tend to be very hot. It doesn't sound like a good idea.

[John Cuthber]

Just a thought, methane is less dense than air.

Also, counter intuitively, if your planet has a high gravity, it's easier for a balloon pig to fly.

Finally, ask the walrus about this; he knows about porcine aerodynamics.

[arc]

Plasmas tend to be very hot. It doesn't sound like a good idea.

 

I don't know, having a lightning bolt shoot out your ass might be helpful now and then.

[Sensei]

I want to know if this back story is physically possible considering the properties of plasma. My second question if there are any glaring drawbacks or limitation.

 

No.

Plasma is causing unpredicted chemical reactions.

It's stealing electrons from surrounding it matter.

It wants to go back to gaseous state of matter.

 

There must be enough high voltage, or density & temperature, to keep plasma in plasma state.

That's not plausible in living organism.

 

I have cascade generator which is "producing" 40,000+ Volts.

Once it will create electric arc, or create coronal discharges (especially), we can smell ozone O₃.

3 O₂ -> 2 O₃

(that's example unpredicted chemical reaction. it depends on available matter what will be produced. If you would have 2 L Hydrogen, 1 L Oxygen, water would be plausible).

 

With enough distance between electrodes (or if we will place magnets close to them) ozone can be produced in large quantity even at 11,000 V in coronal discharge (that's appearing as small violet thunders coming mostly from positive electrode. It slowly, slowly goes from one electrode to another, once they unify, there is explosion and discharge of capacitors).

 

 

 

Above photos are from ~25 kV.

 

You can't use plasma to keep living organisms flying in skies.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Sensei