Fundamentals of Plasma Physics

An advanced textbook covering essential and advanced topics in plasma physics relevant to many disciplines.

Paul M. Bellan (Author)

9780521528009, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 31 July 2008

628 pages, 110 exercises
24.6 x 17.5 x 3.2 cm, 1.24 kg

'The book will undoubtedly be valued by those doing postgraduate work in this field, for whom it provides a useful bridge to the scientific literature. It is also highly recommended to researchers looking to widen their horizons to other areas of plasma physics outside their area of expertise.' Zulfikar Najmudin, The Times Higher Education Supplement

This rigorous explanation of plasmas is relevant to diverse plasma applications such as controlled fusion, astrophysical plasmas, solar physics, magnetospheric plasmas, and plasma thrusters. More thorough than previous texts, it exploits new powerful mathematical techniques to develop deeper insights into plasma behavior. After developing the basic plasma equations from first principles, the book explores single particle motion with particular attention to adiabatic invariance. The author then examines types of plasma waves and the issue of Landau damping. Magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and stability are tackled with emphasis on the topological concepts of magnetic helicity and self-organization. Advanced topics follow, including magnetic reconnection, nonlinear waves, and the Fokker–Planck treatment of collisions. The book concludes by discussing unconventional plasmas such as non-neutral and dusty plasmas. Written for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduates, this text emphasizes the fundamental principles that apply across many different contexts.

Preface
1. Basic concepts
2. The Vlasov, two-fluid, and MHD models of plasma dynamics
3. Motion of a single plasma particle
4. Elementary plasma waves
5. Streaming instabilities and the Landau problem
6. Cold plasma waves in a magnetized plasma
7. Waves in inhomogeneous plasmas and wave energy relations
8. Vlasov theory of warm electrostatic waves in a magnetized plasma
9. MHD equilibria
10. Stability of static MHD equilibria
11. Magnetic helicity interpreted and Woltjer–Taylor relaxation
12. Magnetic reconnection
13. Fokker–Planck theory of collisions
14. Wave-particle nonlinearities
15. Wave-wave nonlinearities
16. Non-neutral plasmas
17. Dusty plasmas
Appendix A. Intuitive method for vector calculus identities
Appendix B. Vector calculus in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates
Appendix C. Frequently used physical constants and formulae
Bibliography
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Astrophysics [PHVB], Plasma physics [PHFP]