- How to classifies the distinct "plasma" phases of matter?
and
- What theory classifies the distinct "plasma" phases of matter?
According to Wikipedia: Plasma (from Greek πλάσμα, "anything formed") is one of the four fundamental states of matter, the others being (i) solid, (ii) liquid, and (iii) gas. A (iv) plasma has properties unlike those of the other states.
For (i) solid, (ii) liquid, and (iii) gas:
We know that large amount of solid crystals can be classified by the crystal "symmetry (Answer of 1)." And large amount of (i) solid, (ii) liquid, and (iii) gas can be classified by the theory of **Landau-Ginzburg theory of symmetry and symmetry-breaking (Answer of 2).
Some of the solid states have phase transition between the metal phase and the insulator phase, called metal-insulator transition. Some of them can still be classified by the theory of Landau-Ginzburg theory of symmetry and symmetry-breaking,** but some can not.
How about the (iv) plasma?
- Can plasma be a gapped or gapless phase? Do Landau-Ginzburg theory of symmetry and symmetry-breaking classifies plasma or not? What are the symmetry and the symmetry breaking here? Are the classical E&M plasma and the quantum plasma the different phenomena? Are there something more exotic in plasma other than the Anderson-Higgs mechanism for the plasmon?