Author Description

Presents the fundamental ideas of particle kinetics which describe a gaseous plasma and applies these ideas in developing basic equations for plasmas under various conditions. Although only the behavior of gaseous plasmas is discussed explicitly in this book, some of the concepts are equally applicable to plasmas in the liquid or solid state. This volume is intended both as a reference book for the research worker and as a text in a course on plasma kinetics at the graduate level. Where possible, the subject matter is developed from first principles in sufficient detail to enable the reader to follow the derivation closely. A knowledge of vector and matrix calculus, differential equations atomic physics, and electromagnetism is assumed.