Fundamentals of Plasma Physics

by Bittencourt, J. A.

• ISBN13: 9780080339245
• ISBN10: 0080339247
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1986-06-01
• Publisher: Elsevier Science Ltd

Summary

"The book is intended primarily for advanced undergraduate and first year graduate students meeting the subject of plasma physics for the first time and is suitable for those who have taken classical mechanics, electrodynamics and mathematics beyond sophomore level." "It is a valuable compendium for any student of plasma physics at the level of research student or research worker and it is also of interest to researchers in other related fields, such as space physics and applied electromagnetism."--BOOK JACKET.

Table of Contents

General Properties of Plasmas

Definition of a Plasma

Plasma as the Fourth State of Matter

Plasma Production

Particle Interactions and Collective Effects

Some Basic Plasma Phenomena

Criteria for the De.nition of a Plasma

Macroscopic Neutrality

Debye Shielding

The Plasma Frequency

The Occurrence of Plasmas in Nature

The Sun and its Atmosphere

The Solar Wind

The Magnetosphere and the Van Allen Radiation Belts

The Ionosphere

Plasmas Beyond the Solar System

Applications of Plasma Physics

Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion

The Magnetohydrodynamic Generator

Plasma Propulsion

Other Plasma Devices

Theoretical Description of Plasma Phenomena

General Considerations on a Self-Consistent Formulation

Theoretical Approaches Problems

Introduction

Energy Conservation

Uniform Electrostatic Field

Uniform Magnetostatic Field

Formal Solution of the Equation of Motion

Solution in Cartesian Coordinates

Magnetic Moment

Magnetization Current

Uniform Electrostatic and Magnetostatic Fields

Formal Solution of the Equation of Motion

Solution in Cartesian Coordinates

Drift Due to an External Force Problems

Introduction

Spatial Variation of the Magnetic Field

Divergence Terms

Gradient and Curvature Terms

Shear Terms

Equation of Motion in the First Order Approximation

Average Force Over One Gyration Period

Parallel Force

Perpendicular Force

Total Average Force

Gradient Drift

Parallel Acceleration of the Guiding Center

Invariance of the Orbital Magnetic Moment and of the Magnetic Flux

Magnetic Mirror Effect

The Longitudinal Adiabatic Invariant

Curvature Drift

Combined Gradient-Curvature Drift Problems

Introduction

Slowly Time-Varying Electric Field

Equation of Motion and Polarization Drift

Plasma Dielectric Constant

Electric Field with Arbitrary Time Variation

Solution of the Equation of Motion

Physical Interpretation

Mobility Dyad

Plasma Conductivity Dyad

Cyclotron Resonance

Time-Varying Magnetic Field and Space-Varying Electric Field

Equation of Motion and Adiabatic Invariants

Magnetic Heating of a Plasma

Summary of Guiding Center Drifts and Current Densities

Guiding Center Drifts

Current Densities Problems

Introduction

Phase Space

Single-Particle Phase Space

Many-Particle Phase Space

Volume Elements

Distribution Function

Number Density and Average Velocity

The Boltzmann Equation

Colisionless Boltzmann Equation

Jacobian of the Transformation in Phase Space

E.ects of Particle Interactions

Relaxation Model for the Collision Term

The Vlasov Equation Problems

Average Value of a Physical Quantity

Average Velocity and Peculiar Velocity

Flux

Particle Current Density

Momentum Flow Dyad or Tensor

Pressure Dyad or Tensor

Concept of Pressure

Force per Unit Area

Force per Unit Volume

Scalar Pressure and Absolute Temperature

Heat Flow Vector

Heat Flow Triad

Total Energy Flux Triad

Higher Moments of the Distribution Function Problems

The Equilibrium State Distribution Function

The General Principle of Detailed Balance and Binary Collisions

Summation Invariants

Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Function

Determination of the Constant Coe.cients

Local Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Function

The Most Probable Distribution

Mixture of Various Particle Species

Properties of the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Function

Distribution of a Velocity Component

Distribution of Speeds

Mean Values Related to the Molecular Speeds

Distribution of Thermal Kinetic Energy

Random Particle Flux

Kinetic Pressure and Heat Flux

Equilibrium in the Presence of an External Force

Degree of Ionization in Equilibrium - The Saha Equation Problems

Moments of the Boltzmann Equation

General Transport Equation 3

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