lasma parameters can take on values varying by many orders of magnitude, but the properties of plasmas with apparently disparate parameters may be very similar (see plasma scaling). The following chart considers only conventional atomic plasmas and not exotic phenomena like quark gluon plasmas:Range of plasmas. Density increases upwards, temperature increases towards the right. The free electrons in a metal may be considered an electron plasma[6]Typical ranges of plasma parameters: orders of magnitude (OOM)CharacteristicTerrestrial plasmasCosmic plasmasSizein metres10−6 m (lab plasmas) to102 m (lightning) (~8 OOM)10−6 m (spacecraft sheath) to1025 m (intergalactic nebula) (~31 OOM)Lifetimein seconds10−12 s (laser-produced plasma) to107 s (fluorescent lights) (~19 OOM)101 s (solar flares) to1017 s (intergalactic plasma) (~17 OOM)Density in particles percubic metre107 m-3 to1032 m-3 (inertial confinement plasma)100 (i.e., 1) m-3 (intergalactic medium) to1030 m-3 (stellar core)Tem