No label defined (Q4936168)

This is a very convenient book on general plasma physics that is suitable to the university students at undergraduate as well as graduate level in physics and astrogeophysical sciences. It gives a clear theoretical and phenomenological introduction into plasma physics needed in studies of various features in the space around the Earth. The introductory section gives basic parameters of various plasmas including geophysical plasmas, magnetospheric currents and solar wind. The main body of the book contains a systematic description of fundamental elements of plasma physics with immediate relation to phenomena in the Earth environment such as the ring, ionospheric and magnetospheric substorm currents, formation of the ionosphere, auroral emission, solar wind and the bow shock, topologies of electric and magnetic fields. The related chapters include descriptions of single particle motions, trapped particles, collisions and conductivity, convection, elements of kinetic theory and magnetohydrodynamics, flows and discontinuities and, finally, linear waves in plasmas. Each of the chapters ends with a list of suggested literature fur further readings. The appendix contains useful tables of physical constants, units, plasma parameters, mathematical formulas and some details of derivations in complex function analysis and kinetic theory of gases. The book is divided into 10 chapters and two appendices.