The Propagation of Electromagnetic Waves in Plasmas


Book Description

"Much attention has been given also to various sepecific problems, in particular the propagation and generation of waves in the Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere, in the interplanetary plasma, and in laboratory apparatus, as well as solid-state plasmas." -- p. xiii.




Plasma: The Fourth State of Matter


Book Description

The idea for this book originated with the late Igor Vasil 'evich Kurchatov. He suggested to the author the need for a comprehen sive presentation of the fundamental ideas of plasma physics with out c'omplicated mathematics. This task has not been an easy one. In order to clarify the physical nature of plasma phenomena with out recourse to intricate mathematical expressions it is neces sary to think problems through very carefully. Thus, the book did not come into being by inspiration, but required a considerable ef fort. The aim of the book is to provide a beginning reader with an elementary knowledge of plasma physics. The book is primar ily written for engineers and technicians; however, we have also tried to make it intelligible to the reader whose knowledge ofphys ics is at the advanced-freshman level. To understand the book it is also necessary to have a working knowledge of electricity and magnetism of the kind available in present-:day programs in junior colleges. This book is not intended for light reading. It is designed for the reader for whom plasma physics will be a continuing in terest. We have confidence that such a reader will want to broad en his knowledge by consulting more specialized literature. Thus, we not only include simple expressions but also special important terms.




Radiation and Scattering of Waves


Book Description

As relevant today as it was when it was first published 20 years ago, this book is a classic in the field. Nowhere else can you find more complete coverage of radiation and scattering of waves. The chapter: Asympotic Evaluation of Integrals is considered the definitive source for asympotic techniques. This book is essential reading for engineers, physicists and others involved in the fields of electromagnetics and acoustics. It is also an indispensable reference for advanced engineering courses.




An Introduction to the Atomic and Radiation Physics of Plasmas


Book Description

Plasmas comprise more than 99% of the observable universe. They are important in many technologies and are key potential sources for fusion power. Atomic and radiation physics is critical for the diagnosis, observation and simulation of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas, and plasma physicists working in a range of areas from astrophysics, magnetic fusion, and inertial fusion utilise atomic and radiation physics to interpret measurements. This text develops the physics of emission, absorption and interaction of light in astrophysics and in laboratory plasmas from first principles using the physics of various fields of study including quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and statistical physics. Linking undergraduate level atomic and radiation physics with the advanced material required for postgraduate study and research, this text adopts a highly pedagogical approach and includes numerous exercises within each chapter for students to reinforce their understanding of the key concepts.




Kinetic Theory of Plasma Waves


Book Description

The book deals with the propagation and absorption of high frequency waves in plasmas. The text collects in a structured and self-contained way the basic knowledge on the broad and varied behavior of plasma waves, adopting the microscopic kinetic description of the plasma as unifying principle. The internal coherence of the theory is explicitly stressed, and interesting physical phenomena peculiar to plasmas are discussed in detail, including collisionless damping of waves, the development of stochasticity in the interactions of charged particles with electromagnetic waves, and nonlinear interactions between waves. The most common and useful approximations used in solving practical problems are derived as special cases from the more general kinetic approach, thereby clarifying their meaning and domain of applicability. This exposition should be useful to plasma physicists both as an introduction and a reference to this field of research.




Surface Flute Waves in Plasmas


Book Description

The book presents results of a comprehensive study of various features of eigen electromagnetic waves propagating across the axis of plasma filled metal waveguides with cylindrical geometry. The authors collected in one book material on various features of surface flute waves, i.e. impact of waveguide design on wave dispersion, wave damping influenced by various reasons, impact of plasma density and external magnetic field inhomogeneity on the wave, and impact of waveguide corrugation and electric current on the wave. A variety of present surface waves applications and possible future applications is also included. Using the method of successive approximations it is shown how one can solve problems, which concern real experimental devices, starting from simple models. The book applies to both professionals dealing with problems of confined plasmas and to graduate and post-graduate students specializing in the field of plasma physics and related applications.







Interaction Of Electromagnetic Waves With Electron Beams And Plasmas


Book Description

The interaction of electromagnetic waves with matter has always been a fascinating subject of study. As matter in the universe is mostly in the plasma state, the study of electromagnetic waves in plasmas is of importance to astrophysics, space physics and ionospheric physics. The physics of electromagnetic wave interacting with electron beams and plasmas also serves as a basis for coherent radiation generation such as free electron laser and gyrotron and advanced accelerators. This monograph aims at reviewing the physical processes of linear and nonlinear collective interactions of electromagnetic waves with electron beams and unmagnetized plasmas.




Wave Propagation in the Ionosphere


Book Description

In this book, the author draws on his broad experience to describe both the theory and the applications of wave propagations. The contents are presented in four parts and the sequence of these parts reflect the development of ionospheric and propagational research in areas such as space research geophysics and communications. The first part of the book presents an outline of the theory of electromagnetic waves propagating in a cold electron plasma. For reference, vector analysis, dyadics and eigenvalues introduced in this part are presented in the appendices. Practical aspects of radio wave propagation are the subject of the second part. The typical conditions in different frequency ranges are discussed and the irregular features of the ionospheric structure such as sound and gravity waves are also considered. Warm plasma and the effects of ions are considered in the third part, which includes a discussion of sound-like waves in electron and ion plasmas. Nonlinear effects and instabilities are described in the fourth part.




The Propagation of Radio Waves


Book Description

This book is concerned with the ionosphere and the magnetosphere, and the theory of their effect on radio waves. It includes accounts of some mathematical topics now widely used in this study, particularly W. K. B. approximations, Airy integral functions and integration by steepest descents. The subject is divided into ray theory and full wave theory. Ray theory is useful for high frequencies when the ionosphere is treated as a horizonally stratified medium. The discussion of the magnetosphere, whose structure is more complicated, includes an account of whistlers and ion cyclotron whistlers. The book has been planned both for final year undergraduates and as a reference book for research. It is suitable as a course book on radio propagation for students of physics or electrical engineering or mathematics. Some of the topics are presented from an elementary viewpoint so as to help undergraduates new to the subject. The later parts are more advanced. Because the subject is so large and has seen many important recent advances, some topics have had to be treated briefly, but there is a full bibliography with about 600 references.