Nonlinear Plasma Science

A nonlinearity is one of the most important notions in modern physics. A plasma is rich in nonlinearities and provides a variety of behaviors inherent to instabilities, coherent wave structures and turbulence. The book covers the basic concepts and mathematical methods, necessary to comprehend nonlinear problems widely encountered in contemporary plasmas, but also in other fields of physics and current research on self-organized structures and magnetized plasma turbulence. The analyses make use of strongly nonlinear models solved by analytical techniques backed by extensive simulations and available experiments. The text is written for senior undergraduates, graduate students, lecturers and researchers in laboratory, space and fusion plasmas.

A Nobel Foundation Symposium on the subject: "Nonlinear Effects 1n Plasmas", was held at Aspenasgarden, Lerum, in the G6teborg area of Sweden from June 11-17, 1976. The Symposium was the 36th in the series of Nobel Foundation Symposia, which have been held mainly within the areas of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace prizes. Some 30 leading experts from the United States, Soviet Union, Japan and Western Europe attended the Symposium. The purpose of the Symposium was to discuss various topics in the field of modern plasma physics. We had to select from this vast area of active research a suitable common theme with a great number of new and interesting contributions. We decided to devote our Sym posium in particular to nonlinear effects in plasmas and to emphasize some areas where important developments seemed to be taking place. In recent years basic theory and experiments in nonlinear plasma physics have been stimulated largely by the need for an energy source based on fusion of light nuclei. In many laboratories all over the world attempts are being made to come closer to the final goal by studying magnetically confined plasmas and systems of inertial con finement. Heating of plasmas to fusion temperatures remains a key problem. There are good reasons to believe that the nonlinear effects in plasmas will play an important role for fusion, a long-range program which is still largely in its basic research phase.

Lectures on Non-linear Plasma Kinetics is an introduction to modern non-linear plasma physics showing how many of the techniques of modern non-linear physics find applications in plasma physics and how, in turn, the results of this research find applications in astrophysics. Emphasis is given to explaining the physics of nonlinear processes and the radical change of cross-sections by collective effects. The author discusses new nonlinear phenomena involving the excitation of coherent nonlinear structures and the dynamics of their random motions in relation to new self-organization processes. He also gives a detailed description of applications of the general theory to various research fields, including the interaction of powerful radiation with matter, controlled thermonuclear research, etc.

For some time now there has been an interest in the nop. linear interaction of electromagnetic waves in plasma [1,2]. But only in the last few years has the theory of nonlinear wave inter action effects undergone such vigorous development as to result in the formulation of clear phYSical concepts regarding the mech anisms of interaction. This development has been engendered by attempts to solve many of the plasma-physical problems accom panying the tremendous growth of experimental research [3]. The importance of nonlinear effects in modern plasma physics is dis cussed in detail in Chap. I. At this point we merely stress the fact that today the analysis of nonlinear effects is a practical ne cessity in any experiment involving plasma instabilities. We should also point out that plasma instabilities can assert them selves extensively in solids (solid state plasma) and play an im portant part in the study of cosmic plasma. Consequently, the problems of nonlinear wave interaction in plasma are of concern to those working in widely different areas of physics. Yet it is difficult to assimilate the results of investigations on nonlinear effects, owing to the complicated way in which the results of orig inal research are presented. In the present book the author hopes in some measure to fill the need for a text on the physics of non linear effects that is accessible to a fairly general audience.

Market: Researchers in plasma physics and astrophysics. This informative work contains the papers of the International Topical Conference on Research Trends in Nonlinear Space Plasma Physics, held in February 1991. Leading figures in the field met to discuss subjects including chaotic phenomena in space plasma, ionospheric and alfven waves, plasma instabilities and turbulence, and collisionless shock waves.

The Physics of Plasmas provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject, illustrating the basic theory with examples drawn from fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas. A particular strength of the book is its discussion of the various models used to describe plasma physics and the relationships between them. These include particle orbit theory, fluid equations, ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamics, wave equations and kinetic theory. The reader will gain a firm grounding in the fundamentals, and develop this into an understanding of some of the more specialised topics. Throughout the text, there is an emphasis on the physical interpretation of plasma phenomena. Exercises are provided throughout. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students of physics, applied mathematics, astronomy and engineering will find a clear but rigorous explanation of the fundamental properties of plasmas with minimal mathematical formality. This book will also appeal to research physicists, nuclear and electrical engineers.

Methods in Nonlinear Plasma Theory is from lectures given in graduate classes in both University of Maryland and University of California at Berkeley. To be able to understand fully the contents in this book, the reader is assumed to be a graduate student with background of classical physics and linear plasma waves and instabilities. This text is divided into two major parts. Part I deals with the coherent nonlinear phenomena, while Part II discusses the turbulent nonlinear phenomena. Six chapters comprise Part I, where basic equations and methods are described and discussed. Some of these methods are Vlasov-Maxwell equations and Korteweg-de Vries equation. Part II meanwhile has eight chapters that discuss frameworks and theories for weak plasma turbulence. Specifically, the weak turbulence theory is presented as it is applied to electromagnetic wave-particle interactions, nonlinear wave-wave interactions, and nonlinear wave-particle interactions. This book is a useful reference for students and researchers in the study of classical physics and plasma theory.

Up-to-date and comprehensive, An Introduction to Nonlinear Plasma Physics describes the numerous nonlinear effects in plasmas that are confined in an external magnetic field. Because a magnetized plasma is rich in wave motions, many effects related to wave phenomena can be studied. This book focuses on wave phenomena in magnetized plasmas for this reason, but it also contains some new results associated with unmagnetized plasma. Using model equations and methods derived from various areas of science, from astrophysics to fluid mechanics to nonlinear optics, the book explores high- and low-frequency wave motions as well as nonlinear low-frequency wave phenomena, making it a useful tool that applies to many disciplines.