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2) Where can we find plasmas?

Plasmas can be found in the situations where the temperature or the electric field is high enough to ionize the gas. The examples can be divided into three main categories: space, terrestrial and artificial

Ø Space: Sun and other stars, solar wind, interstellar medium, etc.

The surface of the sun

Ø Terrestrial: Ionosphere, lightning, etc

Lightning

Ø Artificial: Fluorescent lamp, electric arcs, fusion devices, etc.

Inside a fusion reactor

From the above examples one can see the variety of situations, where one encounters plasmas, as well as the differences between them. For example, the sizes can vary from arcs created in a lab, to vast regions of space. Other characteristics also vary by several orders of magnitude, such as the density, the magnetic field that is present, or the relaxation time available to the system.

If we add the fact that most matter in the universe is in the form of a plasma, one can easily see the importance of this area of research.