LG's largest plasma model, a 76-inch unit, will "sell to the billionaire market," and be priced accordingly, said John Taylor, the company's vice president for public affairs.

Laughlin's original plasma model was extended to the hierarchy states by MacDonald and others.

For sets 42 inches or less, he suggests a liquid-crystal-display monitor rather than a plasma model, and for larger screens, a rear projection set with digital signal processing.

There are several main types of plasma models: single particle, kinetic, fluid, hybrid kinetic/fluid, gyrokinetic and as system of many particles.

The program couples molecular data and plasma models to provide full information on the various plasma processes.

It comes with excellent help and support options and built-in Wi-Fi, and consumes less power than plasma models.

Dr. Dawson is considered the father of computer-simulated plasma models and of plasma-based particle accelerators.

Its lighter weight, about half that of plasma models with comparable screen sizes, will also have a smaller footprint, he said.

Of the flat-panel sales, 73 percent are L.C.D. sets and 27 percent are the larger plasma models.

A plasma model that was $10,000 a year or two ago might now sell for $6,000 or $7,000.