interplanetary gas: a rarefied flow of gas and charged particles (plasma) that stream from the sun and form the solar wind
plasma: (physical chemistry) a fourth state of matter distinct from solid or liquid or gas and present in stars and fusion reactors; a gas becomes a plasma when it is heated until the atoms lose all their electrons, leaving a highly electrified collection of nuclei and free electrons
quibble: an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections