Modern Plasma Physics: Volume 1, Physical Kinetics of Turbulent Plasmas

This three-volume series presents the ideas, models and approaches essential to understanding plasma dynamics and self-organization for researchers and graduate students in plasma physics, controlled fusion and related fields such as plasma astrophysics. Volume I develops the physical kinetics of plasma turbulence through a focus on quasi-particle models and dynamics. It discusses the essential physics concepts and theoretical methods for describing weak and strong fluid and phase space turbulence in plasma systems far from equilibrium. The book connects the traditionally 'plasma' topic of weak or wave turbulence theory to more familiar fluid turbulence theory, and extends both to the realm of collisionless phase space turbulence. This gives readers a deeper understanding of these related fields, and builds a foundation for future applications to multi-scale processes of self-organization in tokamaks and other confined plasmas. This book emphasizes the conceptual foundations and physical intuition underpinnings of plasma turbulence theory.1. Introduction; 2. Conceptual foundations; 3. Quasi-linear theory; 4. Nonlinear wave-particle interaction; 5. Kinetics of nonlinear wave-wave interaction; 6. Closure theory; 7. Disparate scale interactions; 8. Cascades, structures and transport in phase space turbulence; 9. MHD turbulence; Appendixes; References; Index.