LEARNING OUTCOMES
You will obtain solid knowledge of basic concepts and phenomena of plasma physics, useful for further studies concerning laboratory, fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas.
You will obtain skills to analytically solve basic problems related to plasma physics, such as particle drifts in simple magnetic field and electric field configurations
You will obtain skills to derive various basic plasma equations starting from basic set of fluid and Maxwell equations
You will obtain solid conceptual understanding and theory behind several key basic plasma phenomena, such as magnetic reconnection, magnetohydrodynamic stability and plasma instabilities.
You will obtain a good understanding of different approaches in plasma physics (single particle, kinetic and fluid)
CONTENT
After a brief introduction and a short review of electrodynamics needed in plasma physics, the following topics are discussed: motion of charged particles in electromagnetic fields, collisions and plasma conductivity, kinetic plasma description, macroscopic plasma quantities and equations, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), magnetic reconnection, MHD waves, cold plasma waves, warm plasma, plasma physics and fusion research.