PLASMA TURBULENCE.

This article reports that the plasma occurs in states of turbulence under a wide range of conditions including space and astrophysical plasmas as well as those produced in laboratory confinement devices. The strength of the turbulence increases as the plasma is driven further away from thermodynamic equilibrium. While there are many ways to drive the plasma away from equilibrium with particle beams, laser beams, and radio-frequency waves, the universally occurring departures from equilibrium considered here are--the presence of plasma currents and the existence of spatial gradients. While both driving forces may exist simultaneously, it is sufficient to consider the effects independently here.