Plasma Physics for Astrophysics / Russell M. Kulsrud.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kulsrud, R. M., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plasma astrophysics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (490 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2020]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

In this book, a distinguished expert introduces plasma physics from the ground up, presenting it as a comprehensible field that can be grasped largely on the basis of physical intuition and qualitative reasoning, similar to other fields of physics. Plasmas are ionized gases that can be found in a hydrogen bomb explosion, the confinement chamber of an experimental fusion reactor, the solar corona, the aurora borealis, the interstellar medium, and the immediate vicinity of a gravitational black hole. Not surprisingly, plasma physics appears to consist of numerous topics arising independently from astrophysics, fusion physics, and other practical applications, and hence it remains a field poorly understood even by many astrophysicists. But, in fact, most of these topics can be approached from the same perspective, with a simple, physical intuition. Selecting simple examples and presenting them in a simultaneously intuitive and rigorous manner, Russell Kulsrud guides readers through a careful derivation of the results and allows them to think through the physics for themselves. Thus, they are better prepared for complex cases and more general results. The first eleven chapters present topics by their importance to plasma physics while the last three chapters emphasize the field's astrophysical applications, applying the results accrued earlier. Throughout, many problems illustrate the field's applications. Based on a course the author taught for many years, Plasma Physics for Astrophysics is intended for graduate students as well as for working astrophysicists.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

List of Figures

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Particle Motions

Chapter 3. Magnetohydrodynamics

Chapter 4. Conservation Relations

Chapter 5. MHD Waves

Chapter 6. Nonlinear Steepening and Shocks

Chapter 7. The Energy Principle and Instabilities

Chapter 8. Collisions and the Braginski Equations

Chapter 9. Collisionless Plasmas

Chapter 10. Collisionless Plasmas:Thermal Effects

Chapter 11. Nonlinear Phenomena

Chapter 12. Cosmic Rays

Chapter 13. Astrophysical Dynamos

Chapter 14. Magnetic Reconnection

Suggested Further Reading

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 26. Mai 2020)

ISBN:

9780691213354

0691213356

OCLC:

1158134591