Introduction to Plasma Physics

Introduction to Plasmas Particle Drifts in Uniform Field. Particle Drifts in Non-Uniform Magnetic Fields Particle Drifts in Time-Dependent Fields Mappings Fluid Equations for a Plasma Relation between Fluid Equations and Guiding-Center Drifts Single-Fluid Magnetohydrodynamics Magnetohydrodynamic Equilibrium Fully and Partially Ionized Plasmas Collisions in Fully Ionized Plasmas Diffusion in Plasmas The Fokker-Planck Equation for Coulomb Collisions Collisions of Fast Ions in a Plasma Basic Concepts of Small-Amplitude Waves in Anisotropic Dispersive Media Waves in an Unmagnetized Plasma High-Frequency Waves in a Magnetized Plasma Low-Frequency Waves in a Magnetized Plasma The Rayleigh-Taylor and Flute Instabilities The Resistive Tearing Instability Drift Waves and Instabilities The Vlasov Equation Kinetic Effects on Plasma Waves: Vlasov's Treatment Kinetic Effects on Plasma Waves: Landau's Treatment Velocity-Space Instabilities and Nonlinear Theory The Drift-Kinetic Equation and Kinetic Drift Waves

Postgraduate and Undergraduate

Plasma physics is one of the most active research areas in modern physics. Most of the visible universe is in the plasma state, and plasma phenomena are of major importance in space, solar and ionospheric physics. Here on Earth one of the most ambitious scientific and technological undertakings of the twentieth century has been the quest for controlled thermonuclear fusion - for which plasma physics is the key underlying scientific discipline. Designed as a textbook for both graduate and advanced undergraduate students, Introduction to Plasma Physics is organized into six units which lead the reader comprehensively through the fundamentals of modern plasma physics. Units on single-particle motion, plasmas as fluids and collisional processes in plasmas lay the groundwork for the understandi