Well......maybe not quite desktop....but close. No vacuum. No high voltage or magnetic fields.

Good old fashion mechanical friction saves the day.

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-stable-plasma-air.html

A classic example of how the helical structure and movement/path can equalize perpendicular forces/energies.

 

Well......maybe not quite desktop....but close. No vacuum. No high voltage or magnetic fields.

Good old fashion mechanical friction saves the day.

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-stable-plasma-air.html

A classic example of how the helical structure and movement/path can equalize perpendicular forces/energies.

As usual all you need is charge separation for electrical energy.

 

I many years am close to atmospheric plasmas, however we more likely prefer the tens to hundreds Torrs, because I know how very difficult is to get the even so small as centimetre size plasma, when there is 760 Torrs.
The one way is ca 3 kW 40 MHz generator as QMS analythical apparature does. Its damn "secret" solution demanding very expensive components and working with much of know-hows never published.
Other way is much smaller plasma ball, what I may refer to wonderful russian article (no, for this author I am convinced to write with normal capital letter, Russian).
See
http://gnativ.ru/moshhnyj-generator-vch-na-mosfet-tranzistore/
and it upgrade at
http://gnativ.ru/vch-generator-na-tranzistore-mrf284l/

Especially look for videos, where the plasma ball is moving.
Such device is possible to solder even at kitchen obstacles on the knee.