Astrophysical plasma

Astrophysical plasma is plasma outside of the Solar System. It is studied as part of astrophysics and is commonly observed in space.^[2] The accepted view of scientists is that much of the baryonic matter in the universe exists in this state.^[3]

When matter becomes sufficiently hot and energetic, it becomes ionized and forms a plasma. This process breaks matter into its constituent particles which includes negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions.^[4] These electrically charged particles are susceptible to influences by local electromagnetic fields. This includes strong fields generated by stars, and weak fields which exist in star forming regions, in interstellar space, and in intergalactic space.^[5] Similarly, electric fields are observed in some stellar astrophysical phenomena, but they are inconsequential in very low-density gaseous media.

Astrophysical plasma is often differentiated from space plasma, which typically refers to the plasma of the Sun, the solar wind, and the ionospheres and magnetospheres of the Earth and other planets.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}