Scientists create plasma by heating a neutral gas to extreme kinetic temperatures. They can also subject the gas to intense electromagnetic fields to achieve this state. This provides sufficient energy to completely overcome the binding energy of the individual atoms.
The intense energy strips the orbiting electrons away from their central atomic nuclei. Because plasma possesses highly mobile free charge carriers, it exhibits near-perfect electrical conductivity. The ionized medium responds aggressively to external magnetic and electric fields.
An ordinary neutral gas behaves according to simple thermodynamic collisions between atoms. In contrast, plasma dynamics are governed by long-range Coulomb interactions between charged particles. This physical property allows the plasma medium to exhibit collective and synchronized behavior.
The motion of particles in one region instantaneously affects the entire plasma volume. Consequently, plasma can easily carry substantial electrical currents through its internal structure. These strong electrical currents generate their own complex, self-organizing magnetic fields.
This magnetohydrodynamic interplay creates distinct structural features that cannot exist in neutral gases. Plasma represents the most abundant form of ordinary baryonic matter in the known universe. It constitutes the luminous interiors of stars and the expansive solar wind.
On Earth, naturally occurring plasma appears only during lightning strikes and auroral displays. Scientists heavily focus on the magnetic confinement of ultra-hot plasmas using tokamak reactors. They attempt to maintain extreme conditions to achieve sustained nuclear fusion for commercial power.