Cosmic plasma

An astrophysical plasma is a plasma (a highly ionized gas) whose physical properties are studied as part of astrophysics. Much of the baryonic matter of the universe is thought to consist of plasma, a state of matter in which atoms and molecules are so hot, that they have ionized by breaking up into their constituent parts, negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions. Because the particles are charged, they are strongly influenced by electromagnetic forces, that is, by magnetic and electric fields. All astrophysical plasmas are likely influenced by magnetic fields.

Astrophysical plasma may be studied in a variety of ways since they emit electromagnetic radiation across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because astrophysical plasmas are generally hot, often meaning that they are highly ionized, electrons in the plasmas are continually emitting X-rays through a process called bremsstrahlung, when electrons nearly collide with atomic nuclei. This radiation may be detected with X-ray observatories, performed in the upper atmosphere or space, such as by the Chandra X-ray Observatory satellite. Astrophysical plasmas also emit radio waves and gamma rays.

Both plasma physicists and astrophysicists are interested in active galactic nuclei, because they are the astrophysical plasmas most directly related to the plasmas studied in the laboratory, and those studied in fusion power experiments. They exhibit an array of complex magnetohydrodynamic behaviors, such as turbulence and instabilities. Although these phenomena may occur on scales as large as the galactic core, most physicists therorize that most phenomena on the largest scales do not involve plasma effects.

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