Course Description
99% of visible matter in the Universe exists in the plasma state. Roughly speaking, plasma can be described as a highly ionised gas. We distinguish laboratory plasma such as laser plasma, plasma in gas discharges, and fusion plasma in a "Tokamak" from natural plasma including astrophysical plasma, plasma in the solar system as well as fusion plasma in the Sun and stars.
Most of these plasma types can be described by collisionless plasma theory. This course introduces the fundamentals of plasma physics and presents the Vlasov theory of collisionless plasma to describe the interaction between waves and particles. Based on this, the course provides an overview of space plasmas, astrophysical plasmas, and laboratory and fusion plasmas.
Table of Content
1. Plasma Basics
2. Introduction to Magnetohydrodynamics
3. Plasma Discontinuities
4. Plasma Waves
5. Plasma Instabilities
6. Kinetic Theory
7. Magnetic Reconnection
8. Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulences
9. Dynamo Theory
10. Case Studies: The Solar Wind and the Heliosphere
11. Case Studies: Solar Wind Interaction with Planetary Bodies
12. Case Studies: Fusion Plasma
