Starting from the fundamentals of plasma physics, this textbook bridges the various subfields of the discipline as well as the gap between experiment and theory.

Special Features:

The experimental-physics perspective provides an intuitive explanation of the wide range of phenomena encountered in plasma physics and is complemented by precise mathematical descriptions. The fundamental concepts developed throughout the book are applied extensively in examples drawn from a broad spectrum of research areas—from laboratory plasmas and plasma technology to space physics and astrophysics, and on to fusion research, which constitutes a major focus of the book and is explored in dedicated chapters.

Target Audience:

The book serves as an introduction for undergraduate and graduate students of physics while also providing aspiring and practicing plasma physicists with a comprehensive overview of the field.

Prerequisites:

Basic knowledge of mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics, and mathematical methods is assumed.

Ulrich Stroth studied physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt, where he also earned his doctorate with a dissertation conducted at the Institut Laue-Langevin, He completed his habilitation at Heidelberg University. He was first appointed Professor of Physics at Kiel University and then Director of the Institute for Plasma Research at the University of Stuttgart. He subsequently served as Director of the Plasma Edge and Wall Division at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching and was Professor in the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Munich.