My name is Ambrogio Fasoli
and I would like to introduce to you
our new course on plasma physics
and applications.
I'm a professor of physics at
the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
and I have the privilege of directing
the Center for Research of Plasma Physics
from where all instructors
and assistants for this course come.
This course will provide you
with the basic knowledge of plasmas
and lead you through the application
to fusion energy, space and astrophysics.
Most of the universe we know about
is made of plasma,
a state in which nuclei and electrons
are set free.
and in which electromagnetic forces
are dominant.
We are surrounded by plasma,
starting from the ionosphere
a hundred kilometers above us,
which is connected to the sun
via the plasma of the solar wind.
The [inaudible]
is a plasma
and so are the largest objects
that emit x-rays.
Our life is energized by plasmas.
All stars, in fact, including our sun
are made of plasma
and operate on the principle
of nuclear fusion.
Without plasmas and fusion,
the Universe as we know it today
would not exist.
On Earth, natural plasmas
are much less frequent but still present.
For example, they appear
in lightning and auroras.
In addition, many plasmas are man-made.
Most technology objects in a room
are produced using plasmas.
The market of plasma-aided manufacturing
is gigantic,
on the order of
a hundred billion dollars per year.
And plasmas are at the core of fusion,
a possible solution
to one of the most formidable challenges
faced by mankind today,
that of finding a source of energy
that is safe, abundant, available to all,
and compatible
with sustainable development.
Different parts of the course
will be discussed by different specialists
who will combine
formal aspects of plasma physics
with cutting-edge illustrations
of research topics.
In the first part,
we will introduce the plasma state
and the models to describe it,
from single particles to fluid.
In the second part,
we will illustrate examples
of plasma in space and astrophysics
and discuss plasma applications
in industry and medicine.
The third part will be dedicated
to fusion energy.
We will go from
the design of a fusion reactor
to plasma confined
in configurations of fusion.
And finally, to confining, heating
and extracting energy
from a burning plasma.
This course is aimed at a level
of Bachelor's third year in Science,
in particular, Physics, 
but also Engineering,
with only basic pre-requisites,
such as General Physics,
in particular, Electricity of Magnetism
and Calculus.
So, my colleagues and I 
really look forward
to seeing many of you in this course
and discuss together
plasmas and their applications.
