What are the different types of plasma and how does each type form?

[alisonb]

Homework Statement

'Briefly describe two different kinds of plasmas and in each case describe how the plasma arises.'

Homework Equations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)

The Attempt at a Solution

I think i understand what a plasma is, but are there different types of plasma that fall into different categories? From the question it suggests different types are formed in different ways. What are these categories and how are the plasmas formed?

 

[glueball8]

there's two different type?

 

[mikelepore]

Just a thought ... how about a gas of ionized atoms, and a gas of subatomic particles? Is the word "plasma" applicable to both cases? Not a sharp distinction between the two -- when we say the sun is largely a bunch of ionized hydrogen we mean a heap of protons.