Encompasses the Lectured Works of a Renowned Expert in the Field
Plasma Physics: An Introduction is based on a series of university course lectures by a leading name in the field, and thoroughly covers the physics of the fourth state of matter. This textbook provides a concise and cohesive introduction to plasma physics theory and offers a solid foundation for students of physics wishing to take higher level courses in plasma physics.
Mathematically Rigorous, but Driven by Physics
The author provides an in-depth discussion of the various fluid theories typically used in plasma physics, presenting non-relativistic, fully ionized, nondegenerate, quasi-neutral, and weakly coupled plasma. This second edition has been fully updated to include new content on collisions and magnetic reconnection.
It contains over 80 exercises—carefully selected for their pedagogical value—with fully worked out solutions available in a separate solutions manual for professors. The material presents a number of applications, and works through specific topics including basic plasma parameters, the theory of charged particle motion in inhomogeneous electromagnetic fields, collisions, plasma fluid theory, electromagnetic waves in cold plasmas, electromagnetic wave propagation through inhomogeneous plasmas, kinetic theory, magnetohydrodynamical fluid theory, and magnetic reconnection.
Author(s): Richard Fitzpatrick
Edition: 2
Publisher: CRC Press
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 304
City: Boca Raton
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Preface
Author
CHAPTER 1: Plasma Parameters
1.1. WHAT IS PLASMA?
1.2. BRIEF HISTORY OF PLASMA PHYSICS
1.3. FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS
1.4. PLASMA FREQUENCY
1.5. DEBYE SHIELDING
1.6. PLASMA PARAMETER
1.7. COLLISIONS
1.8. MAGNETIZED PLASMAS
1.9. PLASMA BETA
1.10. DE BROGLIE WAVELENGTH
1.11. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 2: Charged Particle Motion
2.1. INTRODUCTION
2.2. MOTION IN UNIFORM FIELDS
2.3. METHOD OF AVERAGING
2.4. GUIDING CENTER MOTION
2.5. MAGNETIC DRIFTS
2.6. INVARIANCE OF MAGNETIC MOMENT
2.7. POINCARE INVARIANTS
2.8. ADIABATIC INVARIANTS
2.9. MAGNETIC MIRRORS
2.10. VAN ALLEN RADIATION BELTS
2.11. EQUATORIAL RING CURRENT
2.12. SECOND ADIABATIC INVARIANT
2.13. THIRD ADIABATIC INVARIANT
2.14. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 3: Collisions
3.1. INTRODUCTION
3.2. COLLISION OPERATOR
3.3. TWO-BODY ELASTIC COLLISIONS
3.4. BOLTZMANN COLLISION OPERATOR
3.5. COLLISIONAL CONSERVATION LAWS
3.6. TWO-BODY COULOMB COLLISIONS
3.7. RUTHERFORD SCATTERING CROSS-SECTION
3.8. LANDAU COLLISION OPERATOR
3.9. ROSENBLUTH POTENTIALS
3.10. COULOMB LOGARITHM
3.11. BOLTZMANN H-THEOREM
3.12. COLLISION OPERATOR FOR MAXWELLIAN DISTRIBUTIONS
3.13. MOMENTS OF COLLISION OPERATOR
3.14. COLLISION TIMES
3.15. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 4: Plasma Fluid Theory
4.1. INTRODUCTION
4.2. MOMENTS OF DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
4.3. MOMENTS OF COLLISION OPERATOR
4.4. MOMENTS OF KINETIC EQUATION
4.5. FLUID EQUATIONS
4.6. ENTROPY PRODUCTION
4.7. FLUID CLOSURE
4.8. CHAPMAN-ENSKOG CLOSURE
4.9. BRAGINSKII EQUATIONS
4.10. UNMAGNETIZED LIMIT
4.11. MAGNETIZED LIMIT
4.12. NORMALIZATION OF BRAGINSKII EQUATIONS
4.13. COLD-PLASMA EQUATIONS
4.14. MHD EQUATIONS
4.15. DRIFT EQUATIONS
4.16. CLOSURE IN COLLISIONLESS MAGNETIZED PLASMAS
4.17. LANGMUIR SHEATHS
4.18. LANGMUIR PROBES
4.19. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 5: Waves in Cold Plasmas
5.1. INTRODUCTION
5.2. PLANE WAVES IN HOMOGENEOUS PLASMAS
5.3. COLD-PLASMA DIELECTRIC PERMITTIVITY
5.4. COLD-PLASMA DISPERSION RELATION
5.5. WAVE POLARIZATION
5.6. CUTOFF AND RESONANCE
5.7. WAVES IN UNMAGNETIZED PLASMAS
5.8. LOW-FREQUENCY WAVE PROPAGATION
5.9. PARALLEL WAVE PROPAGATION
5.10. PERPENDICULAR WAVE PROPAGATION
5.11. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 6: Waves in Inhomogeneous Plasmas
6.1. INTRODUCTION
6.2. WKB SOLUTIONS
6.3. CUTOFFS
6.4. RESONANCES
6.5. RESONANT LAYERS
6.6. COLLISIONAL DAMPING
6.7. PULSE PROPAGATION
6.8. RAY TRACING
6.9. IONOSPHERIC RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION
6.10. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 7: Waves in Warm Plasmas
7.1. INTRODUCTION
7.2. LANDAU DAMPING
7.3. PHYSICS OF LANDAU DAMPING
7.4. PLASMA DISPERSION FUNCTION
7.5. ION ACOUSTIC WAVES
7.6. WAVES IN MAGNETIZED PLASMAS
7.7. PARALLEL WAVE PROPAGATION
7.8. PERPENDICULAR WAVE PROPAGATION
7.9. ELECTROSTATIC WAVES
7.10. VELOCITY-SPACE INSTABILITIES
7.11. COUNTER-PROPAGATING BEAM INSTABILITY
7.12. CURRENT-DRIVEN ION ACOUSTIC INSTABILITY
7.13. HARRIS INSTABILITY
7.14. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 8: Magnetohydrodynamic Fluids
8.1. INTRODUCTION
8.2. MAGNETIC PRESSURE
8.3. FLUX FREEZING
8.4. MHD WAVES
8.5. SOLAR WIND
8.6. PARKER MODEL OF SOLAR WIND
8.7. INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELD
8.8. MASS AND ANGULAR MOMENTUM LOSS
8.9. MHD DYNAMO THEORY
8.10. HOMOPOLAR DISK DYNAMO
8.11. SLOW AND FAST DYNAMOS
8.12. COWLING ANTI-DYNAMO THEOREM
8.13. PONOMARENKO DYNAMO
8.14. MHD SHOCKS
8.15. PARALLEL MHD SHOCKS
8.16. PERPENDICULAR MHD SHOCKS
8.17. OBLIQUE MHD SHOCKS
8.18. EXERCISES
CHAPTER 9: Magnetic Reconnection
9.1. INTRODUCTION
9.2. REDUCED-MHD EQUATIONS
9.3. LINEARIZED REDUCED-MHD EQUATIONS
9.4. ASYMPTOTIC MATCHING
9.5. TEARING MODES
9.6. RESISTIVE KINK MODES
9.7. CONSTANT-ψ MAGNETIC ISLANDS
9.8. CONSTANT-ψ MAGNETIC ISLAND EVOLUTION
9.9. SWEET-PARKER RECONNECTION
9.10. PLASMOID INSTABILITY
9.11. EXERCISES
Bibliography
Index
