PH-613 Plasma Physics-I
- Relation between fluid equations and guiding center drifts, diamagnetic drift in uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields, polarization current in the fluid model and parallel pressure balance.
- Single fluid magnetohydrodynamic equations, quasi-neutrality approximation, small Larmor radius approximation, approximation of infinite conductivity of plasma, conservation of magnetic flux and energy, MHD equilibrium, magnetic pressure: the concept of plasma beta, the cylindrical pinch: the cylindrical tokamak.
- Diffusion in fully and partially ionized plasmas, diffusion as a random walk, the diffusion equation, steady state solutions, diffusion across a magnetic field, diffusion in fully ionized plasma, Bohm diffusion and solution of diffusion equation.
- Classification of instabilities, two-streaming instability, the Rayleigh-Taylor and flute instabilities, the gravitational R-T instability, physical mechanisms of R-T instability, Flute instability due to field curvature, MHD stability of the tokamak.
- Kinetic theory of plasmas, the need for a kinetic theory, the particle distribution function, the Boltzmann-Vlasov equation, the Vlasov-Maxwell equations, kinetic effects on plasma waves: Vlasov’s treatment, the linearized Valsov equation for electrostatic perturbations, time asymptotic solutions, simplified derivation for electrostatic waves for Maxwellian and nonMaxwellian plasmas: Langmuir waves, ion-sound waves and Landau damping.
Texts/ Reference books:
- Introduction to Plasma Physics, by R. J. Goldston and P. H. Rutherford, publisher: IoP, Bristol and Philadelphia; 1st edition, (1995).
- Principles of Plasma Physics, by N. A. Krall and A. W. Trivelpiece, publisher: McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York; 1st edition, (1973).