Theory of low-temperature plasma physics (Q739645)

The book presents a theoretical overview of basic features of low-temperature plasmas including essentials of classical and quantum mechanical particle scattering, practical application in plasma torches and near electrode plasmas, numerical methods and calculations of plasma transport coefficients, and plasma diagnostics. It can serve as a suitable reference book for professional researchers, but also graduate students in plasma physics can find it useful. The text, written in 15+498 pages, is divided into eleven chapters, each followed by an extensive list of references, five appendices, and an index. Chapter 1 deals with basic plasma theory which includes plasma models, plasma equilibrium, plasma turbulence, and photon emission from plasmas. Chapters 2--3 offer details of classical and quantum mechanical particle scattering theory, respectively. This includes calculations of total and partial cross-sections for different particle interaction, scattered wave amplitudes in Born approximation and determination of phase shifts. The next two Chapters 4--5 contain detailed derivations and numerical calculations of plasma thermodynamic parameters and transport coefficients based on the mean free path method and using the kinetic theory approach, respectively. Details of various numerical methods used in plasma physics are discussed in Chapter 6 while Chapters 7--8 deal with applications to conditions in plasma of radio frequency (RF) and arch torches, respectively. Chapter 9 is devoted to plasma processes at the vicinity of electrodes in arc torch configurations. Chapter 10 treats phenomena of heat transport and plasma heating by moving particles. The final Chapter 11 is on details of plasma diagnostics by RF and arch torch setups. At the end, Appendix A contains a table of selected characteristic electron properties for all atoms in the periodic system while Appendices B--D contain lengthy analytical expressions encountered in calculations of transport coefficients (viscosity, particle diffusion, thermal diffusion, electrical conductivity) for one- and two-component plasmas.