Plasma Confinement Detailed and authoritative, this volume examines the essential physics underlying international research in magnetic confinement fusion. It offers readable, thorough accounts of the fundamental concepts behind methods of confining plasma at or near thermonuclear conditions. Starting with a review of fundamentals (including considerations of tensor calculus, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, Maxwell-Lorentz equations, and charged particle motion), the text surveys four decades of controlled fusion research, with a focus on more recent concepts that have extended the understanding of confinement. Subjects include confined plasma equilibrium, kinetic description of a magnetized plasma, coulomb collisions, fluid description of magnetized plasma, stability of confined plasmas, collisional transport, and nonlinear processes. Designed for a one- or two-semester graduate-level course in plasma physics, it also represents a valuable reference for professional physicists in controlled fusion and related disciplines. |
Other editions - View all
 |
 |
Common terms and phrases
ambipolarity Amp�re's law approximation axisymmetric ballooning boundary Chapter coefficient collision operator collisional components compute confined plasma constant Coulomb Coulomb collision covariant curvature density depends derivative diamagnetic differential equation diffusion dispersion relation distribution drift drift-kinetic electric field electromagnetic electron electrostatic energy equilibrium expressed field lines flow fluid flux coordinates flux label flux surface average function geometry Grad-Shafranov equation gradient guiding center guiding-center gyrokinetic gyroradius Hamiltonian helicity implies instability integration kinetic equation kinetic theory linear lowest order Lyapunov stable magnetic field Maxwellian modes neoclassical nonlinear Note obtain Ohm's law orbits parallel parameter particle perpendicular perturbation physics plasma current poloidal pressure quasineutrality radial radius rational surface recall result right-hand side shear-Alfv�n law solution species stability symmetry temperature tensor tokamak toroidal toroidal coordinates torus transport vanish variables variation vector velocity