The Fourth State of Matter

The fourth state of matter, known to physicists as plasma, is a fluid of electrically charged particles, often at very high temperatures. It occurs on Earth in lightning discharges and, more prosaically, in fluorescent light tubes. It is hoped that research in plasma physics will lead in the near future to the ability to control thermonuclear reactions and thus provide a virtually inexhaustible supply of energy for the needs of mankind. Designed for the general science reader, this study explains the nature and properties of plasma, the conditions under which it can form and some of the uses to which it might be put.