EP 495C - Plasma Physics and Engineering
Embry-Riddle University
Spring 2011
M. Anthony Reynolds

"Matter has only three states, although our colleagues in plasma physics have done a great job in convincing the rest of the world that there is a fourth state called 'plasma'... which is nothing but a gas"
- Prof. T. Lubensky, during a colloquium on liquid crystals.

  Physical Sciences Colloquium Series 

   PASSION      DISCIPLINE      TALENT

  Correlations with SUCCESS 

How to solve problems - Hubsch, Reynolds   


INFORMATION

Text: Introduction to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, by Chen.
See the syllabus for more detailed information.

Required reading: Chapter 1 of "Modern Plasma Theory" by Fried
                                Chapter 9 "Fusion" of Intro to Plasma Physics by Chen
                                Chapter 1 "Nuclear Fusion Reactions" of "The Physics of Inertial Fusion" by Atzeni and Meyer-ter-Vehn
                                "Electric Propulsion" by Jahn and Choueiri

This is going to be a fun course, where you get to apply some of the physics you have learned to real-world situations, and we will also cover some neat mathematical techniques that you will use throughout physics.  

We will cover:
Fundamentals of plasmas: Debye shielding, plasma frequency, plasma parameter.  Motion of charged particles in electromagnetic fields: drifts, adiabatic invariants, diffusion.  Two-fluid theory in unmagnetized and magnetized plasmas: electrostatic, electromagnetic, and hybrid waves and instabilities.  Magnetohydrodynamics.  Magnetic fusion devices: mirrors, tokamaks, stellarators.  Electric propulsion devices: electrothermal, electrostatic, electromagnetic accelerators.
Prerequisites: MA 345 (Differential Equations and Matrix Methods), ES 206 (Fluids), PS 219 or PS 250 (Physics III).

 

SCHEDULE  

Week

Topics

Chapters in Morin

1-3
4-5

Plasmas
Single-particle trajectories
Exam 1 – Wed 9 Feb

1 + handout
2

6-7
8-10

Fluid theory
Linear waves
Exam 2 – Fri 18 Mar

3
4

11-12
13-14

Fusion devices
Electric propulsion devices
Exam 3 – Fri 22 Apr

handout
handout

 

Exam 3 – Tue 3 May - 12:30-14:30

All

 

LINKS

All about plasma physics  (CPS)
 More about plasma physics  (PI)
Even more about plasma physics  (MIT)

  Interview with Melanie Windridge at CCFE
  Steve Cowley on fusion 

Virtual Tokamak
JT-60 (Japan)
TFTR (Princeton)
HBT-EP (Columbia)
DIII-D (General Atomics)
Rotational transform

Reference materials 
  NRL Plasma Formulary 

Electric propulsion
  Richard Hofer's pages 
  NASA's Dawn page 

Nuclear Fusion

 1   Nuclear Fusion, by Reynolds  
      1a.  Intro to Particle Physics, by Reynolds  
      1b.  The neutrino 
 2   How the Sun Shines, by John Bahcall 
      2a.  Luminous efficacy 
 3   Nuclear fusion, from Hyperphysics 
      3a.   Fusion as an energy source, by Nuttall, Institute of Physics
 Optional reading related to particle physics, fusion, and radioactivity:
         Interview with Frank Close, author of "Antimatter"
         Murray Gell-Mann (discovered quarks) gives TED talk 
         Eddington's table  
         The Atoms that Vanish, Chapter 1 of "Only a Trillion" by Isaac Asimov 
         Clocks in the Rocks - Hyperphysics explanation of radioactive dating methods (see Zircon)
         The Helium Monument and Time Capsule, Amarillo, TX

See Chapters 2 and 3 in  Twentieth Century Physics
LIBRARY

Available at the Jack R. Hunt Library are the following items: 

At approximately the same level as Chen
Introduction to Plasma Theory, by Nicholson, QC 718 .N53 1983 *

At a slightly higher level (advanced undergraduate/beginning graduate)
Plasma Physics, by Sturrock, QC 718 .S76 1994 *
Fundamentals of Plasma Physics, by Bellan, QC 718 .B45 2006 *
Introduction to Plasma Physics, by Gurnett and Bhattacharjee, QC 718 .G87 2005 *
Introduction to Plasma Physics, by Goldston and Rutherford, Reynolds' office
Plasma Physics : An Introduction to Laboratory, Space, and Fusion Plasmas, by Alexander Piel, Springer 2010

At a much higher level (graduate)
Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy, by Friedberg, QC 718 .F76 2007 +
Physics of Space Plasmas, by Parks, QC 809 .P5 P37 1991
Introduction to Plasma Physics, by Thompson (an oldie but a goodie) QC 718 .T5 1962

An engineering perspective
Plasma Physics and Engineering, by Fridman and Kennedy, QC 718 .F77 2004 *

Some texts on nuclear fusion and tokamaks
Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy, by Freidberg, QC 718 .F76 2007

Some texts on electric propulsion
Rocket Propulsion Elements, by Sutton and Biblarz, TL 782 .S8 2001 - Chapter 19
Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion: Ion and Hall Thrusters, by Goebel and Katz, TL 783.63 .G64 2008
Space Technology, Seifert, TL 790 .S44 - "Low-Thrust Flight: Constant Exhaust Velocity in Field-Free Space" by Langmuir
Reviews of Plasma Physics 21, Kadomstev and Shafranov, QC 718.15 V67 2000 - "Fundamentals of Stationary Plasma Thruster Theory" by Morozov and Savelyev
Micropropulsion for Small Spacecraft, Micci and Ketsdever, TL 507 .P75 vol 187