FYSS6360 Plasma Physics (5 cr)

• definition of plasma and plasma conditions

• magnetic confinement and plasma drifts; collisions in plasmas

• particle distributions and reaction rates in low temperature plasma

• plasma waves, electromagnetic waves in plasmas

• formation and typical diagnostics of laboratory plasmas 

• basics of magnetohydrodynamics

At the end of this course, students will be able to

• explain the meaning of plasma conditions and use single particle approach to characterize plasma confinement and drifts

• list collision processes and calculate corresponding rate coefficients as well as explain the role of distribution functions in the description of plasma processes

• classify plasma waves and describe the interactions mechanisms of electromagnetic radiation and plasmas

• explain the formation of laboratory plasmas and describe methods to sustain them as well as analyze signals of typical plasma diagnostics methods 

• distinguish the benefits and limitations of kinetic and magnetohydrodynamic plasma descriptions

• FYSA2011 Electromagnetism

• fundamentals of atom and molecular physics, quantization of electron energy states, ionization, excitation and discharge of electron energy states.