The “sources” of plasma physics

This paper is the text of the Plasma Science and Applications Committee Prize address given in Santa Fe, NM, on June 7, 1994. The principal thesis is that major advances in the development of the science of plasmas have frequently been triggered by the invention of a new plasma source. Examples are given from the work of many colleagues in basic plasma research. A retrospective of the author´s experiments on basic plasma physics, magnetic fusion, and inertial fusion is given, many of these sharing the common theme of transverse electric fields. The author´s present and future work concern new plasma sources that are needed for the application of plasma technology to materials processing