The First State of Matter

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2175.html

It is understood that 99.999% of the universe is in a state of plasma.  The universe is primarily composed of charged species and subatomic particles.  The text book definition of plasma is that it is the 4^th state of matter.  I believe that this definition is fundamentally challenged.  Matter originates in plasma and when energy is lost the celestial bodies and cohesive structures that make up our universe are formed.  In this sense plasma is better described as the first state of matter seeing as this is where chemical compounds begin.

But why recalibrate our perception of plasma?  Here on Earth most of the industrial plasma (those used to modify material) are employed in the cleaning and activation of surfaces.  Essentially this involves the ablation of weakly bound surface contaminant. But I would categorize this process description as a “4^th state” mindset because the tendency is to focus our attention on the solid compounds that originate on the solid and are removed by an energized state of plasma.  While this does occur I feel there is greater accuracy in envisaging plasma as a 1^st state of matter putting greater emphasis on the fragments formed in plasma that come down to join the surface.  The precise chemical compounds that are added are what enable adhesive bonding or reaction.  Those species originate in the plasma and form covalent bonds to the substrate after the source of energy is taken away.