Topics Covered:

This class is intended to give students an introduction to the principles and theories of plasma physics.

Topics typically covered include:

• The plasma as a medium exhibiting collective phenomena.

• Collisional processes.

• Orbit theory.

• Hydrodynamic theory.

• Plasma kinetic theory.

• Basic plasma waves.

• Applications to plasmas and their measurement.

Lab: none

Prerequisites:

A combination of numerical

Grading:

One course each in electromagnetic fields and in mechanics beyond elementary physics.

Standard Texts:

• Introduction to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Second Edition, F.F. Chen, Plenum Press ISBN 0-306-41332-9 (1984).

• ntroduction to Plasma Physics,  R.J. Goldston and P.H. Rutherford, Institute of Physics Publishing ISBN 0-7503-0325-5, (1995).
• Introduction to Plasma Theory, D.R. Nicholson, Wiley ISBN 0-471-09045-X (1983)

This last 40% will be 2/5 your best midterm, 2/5 your second best, and 1/5 your third best (for those who are counting, that’s 16%, 16%, 8%). We will drop your lowest homework score and your lowest laboratory score.