Date: 7/6/94
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
Subject: Welcome

SCI.PHYSICS.PLASMA for Plasma Science and Technology

This Newsgroup was formally approved in May for the broad
interdisciplinary area of Plasma Science and Technology based on the
Charter given below. It is open and intended for the use of anyone
interested in or actively working in this field, regardless of
country, affiliation, background, etc. The uses, directions, and
evolution of this Newsgroup is entirely in your hands. Although this
is a moderated group, such "filtering" will be done quickly and will
only be used to maintain consistency with the Newsgroup's Charter.

CHARTER: NEWSGROUP for Plasma Science and Technology

The Plasma Science and Technology research community seeks an
increased dialogue among its multifarious constituencies.
Plasmas are as rich as any other state of matter in terms of distinct
processes and they encompass distinguishable scales ranging from the
atomic to the galactic. Opportunities in plasma science and technology
reflect this breadth in phenomena and scales; one recent list contains
135 subject areas and 65 applications areas including thin-film diamond
deposition, toxic waste disposal, plasma arcs for steel processing,
laser self-focusing, fusion for energy production, gas and arc lamps,
cutting and welding, and semiconductor production.

The NEWSGROUP for Plasma Science and Technology is intended
as a community forum for sharing new developments and bringing
researchers together for potential new collaborations. During its
first year, one activity of this Newsgroup will be a community-wide
dialogue to formulate a Plasma Science and Technology Initiative
which would deliver big-science value with a medium-scale investment.
Participation in this dialogue will involve primarily researchers
in plasma science and technology although qualified researchers
in all related fields are welcome. Executive committees for the
Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society (APS)
and the Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society of IEEE (Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers) have given formal approval
for this network dialogue.

In its initial implementation, Dr. Tim Eastman will be the
PLASMA NEWSGROUP moderator. He is a Faculty member of the
Institute for Physical Science and Technology at the
University of Maryland [ph: 301-405-4829, fax: 301-314-9363,
email: eastman@astro.umd.edu]. The APS and IEEE Executive Committees
will renew or replace the moderator on a yearly basis.

NOTE: The Newsgroup name "sci.physics.fusion" already exists
and is appropriate for the subset of Plasma Science and Technology
which focuses on plasmas for energy production (i.e., fusion).
The proposed NEWSGROUP for PLASMA is intended to complement the
"fusion" group and will primarily orient itself to issues of
Plasma Science and Technology other than fusion although plasma-based
fusion science and issues can also be shared via this Newsgroup
[Note: cold fusion is not an appropriate subject for this Newsgroup].