Plasma Physics
What is a Plasma?
- Ionized gas (kT > a few eV)
- The fourth state of matter
- 99% of the universe
History of Plasma Physics
- 1920’s - Langmuir (vacuum tubes)
- 1930’s - Appleton (ionosphere)
- 1950’s - Nuclear Fusion
- 1960’s - Solar wind, stellar interiors
- 1980’s - Industrial applications