Overview
ESS576 -- AA 556
Space and Laboratory Plasma
Physics
Last updated: 1/28/17 4:14 PM
Instructor: Prof. Robert Holzworth
Earth & Space Sciences
263 Johnson Hall
206 685 7410, bobholz@washington.edu
Winter
2016 (MWF 11:30-12:20 in 027 Johnson
Hall) ---NOTE: this class is offered as ESS590G in 2017 –
see http://earthweb.ess.washington.edu/holzworth/ess590G/
This course will cover Plasma Waves for lab and space plasma applications. We start with the fluid equations (derived in ESS415/515 and AA405) and derive dispersion relationships for several wave modes. We then go back to the distribution function (with a review for the AA405 students) and derive Landau damping and growth along with a discussion of equilibrium and stability. We finish with a series of discussions about off angle wave propagation modes and mode coupling for a whole zoo of plasma waves.
References:
Nicholson, Dwight R, Introduction to Plasma Theory, Wiley, 1983 or 1995.
Kivelson, Margaret G. and Christopher T. Russell, Introduction
to Space Physics,
Krall, Nicholas A. and Alvin W. Trivelpiece, Principles of Plasma Physics, McGraw-Hill, 1973.
Chen, Francis F., Intro. to Plasma Physics and controlled Fusion, Ed. 2, Plenum, 1984.
Stix, Thomas H., Waves
in Plasmas, AIP,
Boyd, T.J.M. and
J. J. Sanderson, The Physics of Plasmas,
Expectations: This is a course for the advanced graduate student who is preparing for a career in space or laboratory plasma physics. There will be regular weekly problem sets, quizzes and problem presentations.
GeneralizedVlasovWaveHandout(pdf)
Access chapters of Nicholson you need at same link with /Nicholson added:
Ie. … ../holzworth/ess576aa556/nicholson/
(note please do not distribute this link.)
Course description (from Canvas):
ESS576 – AA556 Winter 2016
Course Description
Instructor: Prof. Robert Holzworth
263 Johnson Hall
Required Background to be successful in this course:
Physics: You should have the following background:
1.
upper
division Physics E&M (e.g. UW PHYS 321 series)
2.
Intro
to plasma physics (e.g. ESS 415/515 or AA405 is acceptable)
Math: 1. Advanced Math analysis (e.g. Math 309 and 324)
The course will start with the assumptions that you have been introduced to Maxwell’s equations, and to the plasma equations including conservation equations, plasma kinetic equation and the equation of state. The first part of the course will analyze the full set of plasma equations for normal mode solutions to develop a background in plasma fluid waves. For this we will start with Chapter 12 (by Goertz and Strangeway) of Kivelson and Russell. Intro to Space Plasma Physics, Cambridge Press, NewYork, 1995. This chapter covers waves in unmagnetized and magnetized plasmas, introduces the Two Stream Instability and discusses
Wave propagation.
To proceed further the student will need to be introduced to Vlasov theory, so we move to Chapter 6 of Nicholson (Introduction to Plasma Theory, Wiley, NY, 1983 – out of print – see prof. for copy). Chapter 6 of Nicholson helps us learn about Landau and Cyclotron Damping, for which we will use the entire plasma distribution function. We will learn how to find wave modes by solving the dispersion relation through integration around the Landau Contour. This then allows us to proceed to evaluating distribution functions for stability using the Penrose Criterion. We will introduce some simple nonlinear wave processes.
Then we return to fluid theory (Chapter 7 of Nicholson), only now using our Vlasov theory, and obtain the same wave modes as found with simple two fluid theory, but now allowing us to move to more advanced concepts such as drift wave, solitons and a full evaluation of the two stream instability.
Grading: Weekly Problem Sets; Occasional Quizes
Homework Solution discussion: come prepared to discuss Homework Solutions as appropriate
Note: This class is designed to give you the tools to evaluate plasma waves and determine plasma instability conditions from first principles, and it uses all your math and physics training to this point.
Problem set #1: Do all the problems at the end of Chapter 12 of Kivelson and Russell (pp. 398,399) and sign up to present one of them to the class. (2 weeks to finish).
Final: I do not usually give a final.