Overview

Following on from the companion volume Principles of Magnetohydrodynamics, this textbook analyzes the applications of plasma physics to thermonuclear fusion and plasma astrophysics from the single viewpoint of MHD. This approach turns out to be ever more powerful when applied to streaming plasmas (the vast majority of visible matter in the Universe), toroidal plasmas (the most promising approach to fusion energy), and nonlinear dynamics (where it all comes together with modern computational techniques and extreme transonic and relativistic plasma flows). The textbook interweaves theory and explicit calculations of waves and instabilities of streaming plasmas in complex magnetic geometries. It is ideally suited to advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in plasma physics and astrophysics.

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9781139195560

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Reviews

From the companion volume: 'Goedbloed and Poedts have written a unique and outstanding volume on theoretical magnetohydrodynamics ... The reader is carefully and clearly guided on a mathematical journey through the essential arguments, which serves as a concise road map across the vast territory of mathematical plasma kinetics ... the present volume ... is an outstanding contribution to the subject of MHD theory and its applications. Supplemented with ... [the companion volume], it might well become the definitive treatise on the subject.' Gene Parker, Journal of Fluid Mechanics '... an engaging text ... The authors present many examples to good effect, and derive results efficiently and clearly from fundamental relationships. Units (mksA) are, blessedly, explicit. The authors' clarity inspires eagerness to dig into derivations and examples ... Goedbloed and Poedts have thoughtfully asterisked those sections that are optional for a first course in MHD ...' E. J. Zeta, American Journal of Physics

Author Information

J. P. (Hans) Goedbloed is an advisor at the FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics and Professor Emeritus of theoretical plasma physics at Utrecht University. He has been a visiting scientist at laboratories in the Soviet Union, the United States, Brazil and Europe. He has taught at Campinas, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, MIT, K. U. Leuven, and regularly at Amsterdam Free University and Utrecht University. For many years he coordinated a large-scale computational effort with the Dutch Science Organization on Fast Changes in Complex Flows involving scientists of different disciplines. Rony Keppens is a Professor at the Centre for Plasma-Astrophysics, K. U. Leuven, affiliated with the FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics 'Rijnhuizen', and a Professor at Utrecht University. He headed numerical plasma dynamics teams at Rijnhuizen and Leuven, and is frequently invited to lecture on computational methods in astrophysics. His career started with research posts at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, and the Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics, Freiburg. His expertise ranges from solar physics to high energy astrophysics, includes parallel computing, grid-adaptivity and visualization of large-scale simulations. Stefaan Poedts is full Professor in the department of mathematics at K. U. Leuven. He graduated in Leuven, was a postdoctoral researcher at the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Garching, a senior researcher at FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics 'Rijnhuizen', and a research associate at the Centre for Plasma Astrophysics, K. U. Leuven. His research interests include solar astrophysics, space weather, thermonuclear fusion and MHD stability. He teaches both basic math courses and advanced courses on plasma physics of the Sun and numerical simulation, and is currently president of the European Solar Physics Division of the EPS.

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