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Definition:
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The material in the sun and its atmosphere -- as well as the material in Earth's ionosphere, aurora and fluorescent lights -- are all plasmas. Plasma is a state of matter much like solid, liquid and gas. Plasmas are so incredibly hot, that the electrons leave their atoms, making it essentially a gas of charged particles. While uncommon on Earth, 99% of the matter we can see in the universe is made of plasma. The electrical charge strongly affects how the particles move, since the particles are simultaneously governed by, and constantly creating, magnetic fields. For example, in close-up images of solar activity you can see the plasma very clearly following the magnetic field lines. Conversely, as plasma moves, it drags its own magnetic fields along for the ride. This constant interchange is one reason why studying the dynamics of plasma on the sun or in the magnetosphere is so challenging.
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