What is my wpa_supplicant, and why is it using 90% of my CPU?

[Zak Jones!]

So, I just reinstalled Ubuntu 9.04 on my laptop after an 5 month transfer to Windows XP. The install's 99.9% pure/stock/clean, I've installed only one application, and just updated Firefox.

My laptop is a Sony Vaio PCG-V505BX (2.0GHz, 512MB RAM, 40GB HDD). Sure, it's a couple of years old, but it still runs like a champion. :) At least, it did until I put Ubuntu on it. :p

I (could have done nothing else but) noticed that the laptop slows to a crawl after being used for maybe 3 minutes. Quite frustrated (the same problem manifested itself last time I had Ubuntu on this computer, but not the same way; only in 2 second stops every hour or so.), I opened up the system monitor, viewed all processes, and saw the process "wpa_supplicant" was taking up anywhere from 65 to 94 percent of my CPU cycles. :(

I'm still not qualified to pronounce Ubuntu properly, so I don't know what that process is, or what it does. Or why it's taking up so much CPU.

If you could help me, I'd love you forever. :)

Thanks guys.

EDIT: Noticed that the problem manifests itself when I turn the wireless back on by right-clicking the icon and rechecking 'enable wireless' (I have to reset the wireless after it drops to regain a connection.)

[con]

wpa_supplicant is the software that handles wpa in wlan. If you dont need it you can uninstall it by running (i.e you have a open wlan, no encryption)
sudo apt-get remove wpa_supplicant
from the commandline or look it up in synaptic.