The general background of this monograph and the aim of it is described in detail in Chapter I. As stated in 1.7 it is written according to the principle that "when rigour appears to conflict with simplicity, simplicity is given preference", which means that it is intended for a rather broad public. Not only graduate students but also advanced undergraduates should be able to understand at least most of it. This monograph is the result of many years of inspiring discussions with a number of colleagues, for which I want to thank them very much. Especially I should mention the groups in Stockholm and La Jolla: in Stockholm, Dr Carl-Gunne Flilthammar and many of his collaborators, including Drs Lars Block, Per Carlqvist, Lennart lindberg, Michael Raadu, Staffan Torven, Miroslav Babic, and Itlgvar Axniis, and further, Drs Bo Lehnert and Bjorn Bonnevier, all at the Royal Institute of Technology. Of other col leagues in Sweden, I should mention Dr Bertel Laurent, Stockholm University, Dr Aina Elvius, The Stockholm Observatory, and Dr Bengt Hultqvist, Kiruna. In La Jolla my thanks go first of all to Dr Gustaf Arrhenius, who once invited me to La Jolla, which was the start of a most interesting collaboration; further, to Dr W. B.

Inhalt
I / Survey.- I.1. Experimental and Theoretical Approach to Plasma Physics.- I.2. Plasma Phenomena in Laboratory and Space.- I.3. Field and Particle Aspects of Plasmas.- I.4. Present State of the Classical Theory.- I.5. Boundary Conditions. Circuit Dependence.- I.6. Cosmology and the Origin of the Solar System.- I.7. Aims of the Monograph.- II / Electric Currents in Space Plasmas.- II.1. Dualism in Physics.- II.2. Particle-Related Phenomena in Plasma Physics.- II.3. Magnetic Field lines.- II.4. Filaments.- II.5. Local Plasma Properties and the Circuit.- II.6. Electric Double Layers.- II.7. Field-Aligned Currents as 'Cables'.- II.8. An Expanding Circuit.- II.9. Different Types of Plasma Regions.- II.10. Cellular Structure of Space.- II.11. Fine Structure of Active Plasma Regions.- III / Circuits.- III.1. Importance of Electric Current Models.- III.2. The Auroral Circuits.- III.3. Rotating Magnetized Body Surrounded by a Plasma.- III.4. The Heliospheric Current System.- III.5. Circuits of Magnetospheric Tail, Comets, and Venus.- III.6. Magnetospheric Circuit.- III.7. Other Magnetospheres.- III.8. Solar Prominence Circuit and Solar Flares.- III.9. Solar Wind Acceleration.- III.10. Transfer of Energy from the Solar Core to the Aurora.- IV / Theory of Cosmic Plasmas.- IV.1. Classical Theory and Its Difficulties.- IV.2. Ionization.- IV.3. Cosmic Abundances and Differentiation.- IV.4. Turbulence.- IV.5. Flux Amplification.- IV.6. Critical Velocity.- IV.7. Dusty Plasma.- IV.8. Formation and Evolution of Interstellar Clouds.- IV.9. Ambiplasma.- IV.10. High Energy Phenomena.- V / Origin of the Solar System.- V.1. How We Can Reconstruct Earlier Epochs.- V.2. Sources of Information.- V.3. Impact of Magnetospheric Results.- V.4. Electromagnetic Effects Aiding the Formation andContraction of Clouds.- V.5. Chemical Differentation in the Primeval Cloud.- V.6. Intrinsically Produced Currents.- V.7. Band Structure and the Critical Velocity.- V.8. Solar System in Formation.- V.9. Hetegony and the 'Hetegonic Principle'.- VI / Cosmology.- VI.1. The State of Cosmology.- VI.2. Coexistence of Matter and Antimatter.- VI. 3. Annihilation as a Source of Energy.- VI.4. Hubble Expansion in a Euclidean Space.- VI.5. A Model for the Evolution of the Metagalaxy.- VI.6. Other Metagalaxies.- VI.7. Discussion.- VI.8. Conclusions.- References.