Plasma astrophysicists investigate a wide range of astrophysical phenomena. Many apply their expertise to some of the latest topics in astrophysics, such as the Standard Cosmology, black holes, active galaxies nuclei, neutron stars and dark matter.
Other plasma physicists such as Hannes Alfvén, and others, took a different view, which is compared in the table below.
| Plasma Universe | Big Bang model | |
| General approach | Empirical: Application of known laboratory physics only | Known physics and “new” physics (Empirical and hypothetical) |
| Plasma description | “Real” plasma: Magnetic & electric description MHD and non-MHD |
“Pseudo-plasma:” (approximates a real plasma) Ideal fluid MHD Magnetohydrodynamics |
| Dominant force | Electromagnetic for smaller charged particles, gravity for larger ones. See Gravito-electrodynamics |
Gravity |
| Electric currents “Birkeland currents“ |
Prevalent in all cosmic plasma Atmosphere, Stellar, Interplanetary, Interstellar, Intergalactic |
Limited: Atmospheric Birkeland currents Solar? |
| Cosmic electric circuits | Yes All electric currents follow Kirchhoff’s circuit laws |
No |
| “Invisible” energy transfer | Yes: via circuits | No |
| Double layers | Prevalent | Limited |
| Filamentation | Pinched currents (Bennett pinch) | Magnetic? |
| Particle beams | Prevalent | Perhaps? |
| Galaxy formation | Interacting Birkeland currents Electromagnetic and gravity |
Gravity and dark matter |
| Electric chemical separation | Yes: “Marklund convection“ | No |
| Star formation | Plasma pinch aids accretion | Gravitational accretion disk |
| Synchrotron radiation | Electric fields | Black holes, gravity |
| Cosmology | Plasma cosmology | Standard cosmology |
| Big Bang | Not known | Yes |
| Black holes | No | Yes |
| Pulsar | “Magnetospheric transmission line system” (See pulsar) | Neutron star |
| Neutron stars | No | Yes |
| Dark matter | No | Yes |
| Dark energy | No | Yes |
| Magnetic reconnection | Pedagogic tool describing how magnetic field lines re-orientate, but field lines do not break, nor cause phenomena | Yes |
| Redshift | Intrinsic contribution, eg.: Plasma redshift, Wolf effect |
Yes No intrinsic redshift Cosmological redshift (inflation) |
Note: Items in red require ad hoc “new physics”, ie, physics never seen before in the laboratory.