Plasma Physics

Entry requirements

Electromagnetism, Mechanics I, Complex analysis and Electromagnetic field theory

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course the student shall be able to:

- define, using fundamental plasma parameters, under what conditions an ionised gas consisting of charged particles (electrons and ions) can be treated as a plasma

- distinguish the single particle approach, fluid appoach and kinetic statistical approach to describe different plasma phenomena

- determine the velocities, both fast and slow (drift velocities), of charged particles moving in electric and magnetic fields that are either uniform or vary slowly in space and time

- classify the electrostatic and electromagnetic waves that can propagate in magnetised and non-magnetised plasmas, and describe the physical mechanisms generating these waves

- define and determine the basic transport phenomena such as plasma resistivity, diffusion (classical and anomalous) and mobility as a function of collision frequency and of the fundamental parameters for both magnetised and non-magnetised plasmas

- formulate the conditions for a plasma to be in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, or non-equilibrium, and analyse the stability of this equilibrium and account for the most important plasma instabilities

- explain the physical mechanism behind Landau damping and make calculations in this area using kinetic theory

Content

Definition of plasma. Applications in physics and technology. Debye screening. Single-particle motions in electromagnetic fields and adiabatic invariants. Fluid models of plasmas. Waves in plasmas. Wave propagation, group velocity, cut-off and resonance. Collisions, resistivity and diffusion. Equilibrium and plasma instabilities. Elements of kinetic description of plasma and Landau damping. Electron and ion sources and beams. DC and RF - discharges as plasma sources.

Instruction

Lectures and Lessons

Assessment

Written examination at the end of the course.