An Introduction to Plasma Physics

An Introduction to Plasma Physics, Second Edition focuses on the processes, reactions, properties, and approaches involved in plasma physics, including kinetic theory, radiation, particle motions, and oscillations.

The publication first offers information on the introduction to plasma physics and basic properties of the equilibrium plasma. Discussions focus on the occurrence of plasma in nature, technological aspects of plasma physics, quasi-neutrality and plasma oscillations, transmission of electromagnetic radiation through plasma, production of plasma by shock waves, and degree of ionization in a thermal plasma. The text then ponders on arc plasma, magnetohydrodynamics, and magnetohydrodynamic stability.

The manuscript takes a look at plasma dynamics and particle motions and kinetic theory of the plasma. Topics include dielectric behavior of a magnetized plasma, approximate treatment of particle orbits, formal derivation of the drifts, macroscopic effects of particle motion, consequences of the magnetic moment, and transport equations and hydrodynamics. Low-frequency oscillations of a uniform magnetized plasma, stability and perturbation theories, and approximate procedure for solving the transport equations are also discussed.

The publication is a highly recommended source material for readers interested in plasma physics.

Contenu

1. An Introduction to Plasma Physics
2. Introduction
3. The Occurrence of Plasma in Nature
4. Technological Aspects of Plasma Physics
   
   2. Basic Properties of the Equilibrium Plasma
5. Quasi-Neutrality and Plasma Oscillations
6. The Transmission of Electromagnetic Radiation through Plasma
7. The Degree of Ionization in a Thermal Plasma
8. The Production of Plasma by Shock Waves
   
   3. The Arc Plasma
9. The Diffusion Theory of the Positive Column
10. Sheath Formation
11. Ion Life
12. Magnetic Confinement-The Pinch Effect
    
    4. Magnetohydrodynamics I
13. The Decay of Charge and Current in Conductors
14. The Equations of Magnetohydrodynamics
15. Immediate Consequences of the Magnetohydrodynamic Equations
16. Magnetohydrostatics
17. Magnetic Isolation of Plasma
18. Realization of Magnetic Confinement
    
    5. Magnetohydrodynamics II
19. General Properties
20. Incompressible Flow-Particular Solutions
21. Alfvén Waves
22. Compressible Hartmann Flow and Some Applications
23. Magnetosonic Waves
24. Propagation from a Point Source
25. Shocks
    
    6. Magnetohydrodynamic Stability
26. The Concept of Stability
27. Convective Instabilities
28. The Formal Theory of Plasma Stability
29. The Stability of Cylindrical Confined Plasmas
30. Surface Instabilities and Stability Criterion
31. Thermal Convection in a Magnetic Field
    
    7. Plasma Dynamics and Particle Motions
32. The Dielectric Behaviour of a Magnetized Plasma
33. Mean Free Paths in a Plasma
34. The Approximate Treatment of Particle Orbits
35. A Formal Derivation of the Drifts
36. Macroscopic Effects of Particle Motion
37. Some Consequences of the Magnetic Moment
    
    8. Kinetic Theory of the Plasma
38. Transport Equations and Hydrodynamics
39. The Dielectric Properties of a Hot Plasma in the Absence of a Magnetic Field
40. Screening and the Fokker-Planck Equation for a Plasma
41. Electrostatic Instabilities
42. Equilibrium in a Magnetic Field. Some Exact Solutions
43. The Approximation Procedure for Solving the Transport Equations
44. The Magnetohydrodynamic Equations
45. Equilibrium Theory
46. Perturbation Theory
47. Low-Frequency Oscillations of a Uniform Magnetized Plasma
48. Stability Theory
49. Further Developments of the Kinetic Theory
    Appendixes
    I. Some Formulae
    II. Some Numbers
    III. Some Functions
    Problems
    Answers to Problems
    Author Index
    Subject Index