Fall Term 2002

Introduction to  Plasma Physics

Description

Introduces plasma phenomena relevant to space physics, astrophysics and to thermonuclear fusion. Coulomb collisions and transport processes. Motion of charged particles in magnetic fields; plasma confinement schemes. MHD models; simple equilibrium and stability analysis. Two-fluid hydrodynamic plasma models; wave propagation in a magnetic field. Introduces kinetic theory; Vlasov plasma model; electron plasma waves and Landau damping; ion-acoustic waves; streaming instabilities.

Lectures:

Monday; 1:30 – 4:20; Room 604

Lecturer:

WANG/Chi

Center for Space Science and Applied Research

Chinese Academy of Sciences

 cw@spaceweather.ac.cn, (010)62582904

Grading:

Homework (40%), Final Exam (60%)

Notes:

To be distributed with each topic, which, to a large extent, based on the lectures in MIT.

Recommended books:

a)        杜世刚编，等离子体物理，原子能出版社，1998

b)        F. F. Chen, Introduction to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol 1: Plasma Physics, Second Edition, Plenum Press, 1984

Handouts:

• 9/9, Syllabus, Lecture Notes 1, Problem Set 1
• 9/16, Lecture Notes 2, Problem Set 2
• 9/30, Lecture Notes 1a, Lecture Notes 3, Problem Set 3
• 10/14, Lecture Notes 4
• 10/21, Lecture Notes 5, Problem Set 4
• 11/11, Lecture Notes 6, Part I, Problem Set 5
• 11/25, Lecture Notes 6, Part II, Problem Set 6
• 12/16, Lecture Notes 7, Part I.
• 12/23, Lecture Notes 7, Part II, Problem Set 7