Modern Plasma Theory

by
Burton D. Fried

Dr. Fried taught graduate level plasma physics at U.C.L.A. for many years.  I happened to be a student in his class the last time he taught it, 1988-1989 (it was a year-long course).  During this time he was working on notes for a textbook, and he handed out the (then) current version of those notes.  In addition, I have my notes from his lectures, which I have used to clear up any ambiguities in his manuscript.

After learning from Dr. Fried in a classroom environment, I became his research student, and continued to absorb his encyclopedic knowledge of plasma physics in a research environment.  Ultimately, with the assistance of Dr. George Morales, I received my Ph.D. in 1995.

While there are several plasma physics texts at the graduate level, I feel that Dr. Fried's insight is sufficiently unique and helpful that I have decided to publish the latest version of his manuscript.  Speaking to him in 1999 about the possibility of publishing his manuscript, he expressed the feeling that it no longer constituted "Modern" plasma theory, and that the work required to bring the project to fruition was prohibitive.  While it may not be modern, it certainly covers the fundamentals in a manner that is at once sweeping and detailed.  The reader obtains a view of the 'big picture' as well as the subtleties inherent in the details.  In addition, I agree that there is probably not a large market for such a book, but that an online publication (open source) might bring his unique views to a wider audience.

Here, then, are the first few chapters of his textbook, "Modern Plasma Theory," which will be added to as time permits.

                --- Anthony Reynolds

Table of Contents  
1. Introduction  
2. Fundamental Theoretical Formulation: The Microscopic Kinetic Equation  
3. Moments of the Vlasov Equation; The Two Fluid Approximation  
4. One Fluid MHD  
5. The Linearized Vlasov Equation for a Uniform Unmagnetized Plasma  
6. Some General Properties of the Vlasov Equation  
7. Conductivity and Dielectric Tensors for a Uniform, Magnetized Plasma  
8. Linearized Wave Propagation in a Magnetized Plasma  
9. Plasmas in Slowly Varying Fields  
10. The Quasilinear Approximation  

Note: These files are all in pdf format.

Last Modified: 20 December 2006