Plasmas in space

Although 95 percent of the universe is made up of ionized gases or plasma, and although most plasmas exist in magnetic fields, the problem of the behavior of these gases in magnetic fields is a relatively new field of scientific investigation. This article reviews the new findings and speculations on solar dynamics, and concentrates especially on the interactions of the solar wind with the magnetosphere of our earth. Out of the combined efforts of astronomers, physicists, engineers, and geophysicists, a picture of plasmic-magnetic interaction is beginning to emerge.