A Plasma Physics Professor feels compelled to introduce this field of science starting from secondary school. This field has numerous applications in our daily lives. When thunder roars in the atmosphere, lightning flashes its light, tearing through the darkness. At that moment, we witness the white streaks – that’s plasma formed due to air ionization. Thousands of tons of nitrogen become ionized and are drawn towards the Earth. The Earth benefits from this natural event, receiving nitrogen-based fertilizer enrichment. This is one example of natural plasma.
Professor Dr. Muhammad Nur, DEA, along with researchers at the Center for Plasma Research (CPR) at Diponegoro University, has successfully advanced the science and technology of plasma. CPR is a leading research center in the field of Plasma Science and Technology in Indonesia. CPR has successfully developed various products that are highly beneficial to society using plasma technology.
The Plasma Physics Professor’s teaching began with a simple experiment comparing the glow of an incandescent bulb, a neon lamp (plasma lamp), and an energy-efficient lamp (the latest plasma lamp). High-achieving students from MUHI Yogyakarta’s advanced class eagerly absorbed all of Prof. Nur’s questions. The former high school teacher at MUHI (1982-1986) was delighted, stating, “The future cadre of scientists is in this room.” He was impressed with the responses of several standout students, including Muhammad Rafi Ismail, Aulia Haris Fauzan, Riki Adityawan, Rifli Phasa Nugroho, and Aqidatul Izzah.
What followed was a presentation to the students about the science and technology of plasma developed by CPR. The presentation was delivered with enthusiasm and sparked the students’ interest. The students responded positively, answering questions related to the fundamental principles of plasma and its applications. There were also student questions related to food standards and the chemical content changes that result from ozone plasma treatment.
The Q&A session was engaging, and the provided Door Prizes were distributed quickly. Professor Nur simplified his presentation to highlight several research findings from the CPR research group, including:
1. The ozone generator combined with storage has been adopted by farmer groups in 10 provinces as a system to maintain the quality of horticultural products. CPR played a key role in conceptualizing the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for horticultural products that use ozone technology: SNI 8759:2019 – Post-Harvest Horticultural Product Storage Equipment Using Ozone Technology (Commercial License Agreement with a company).
2. CPR’s Cold Plasma Technology has successfully led to the creation of a product that has been immensely helpful during the COVID pandemic and continues to be used for health purposes. The Plasma Technology Air Purifier, patented under IDP000052795 and trademarked as Zeta Green (IDM 000641718), has entered the market and is widely utilized by hospitals, places of worship, hotels, and residential homes.
3. Ozone technology that has been installed on large fishing vessels (100 GT-300 GT) has yielded excellent results, and further testing is currently underway for potential installation on related fishing vessels.
4. In the medical field, CPR is concluding its research on Medical Ozone. This research has been funded by LPDP and has been categorized as a Group B medical device. Clinical trials are no longer required. The production and distribution permits are now in progress. This Medical Ozone is branded as M’OZONE (Granted IDM00784429).
Professor Nur asked Muhammad Rafi Ismail and his classmates if they understood the information that had just been presented. The students responded that they could comprehend it and understood that plasma technology has many practical applications in daily life. One particularly active participant was Emir Muhammad Imran Akbar, who expressed interest in the ozone plasma technology installed on fishing vessels. He contacted his father in Tegal and shared what he had learned in class. The CPR team will send information about the implementation of ozone plasma on fishing vessels to Emir’s parents.
In this professor’s plasma teaching program, Nuclear Fusion as a future energy source was also presented. This presents an opportunity for talented young generations to carve out careers as global scientists. We hope that this program provides even more inspiration for students to pursue knowledge. Yogyakarta, September 15, 20
