by T J M Boyd and J J Saunderson, Cambridge University Press. Hardback ISBN 0521452902, £80 ($120). Paperback ISBN 0521459125, £29.95 ($50).
Plasma physics is the study of the ionized state of matter; most of the baryonic matter in the universe is in the plasma state. Plasmas occur quite naturally whenever ordinary matter is heated to temperatures greater than 104 K. The resulting plasmas are electrically charged gases or fluids. They are profoundly influenced by the long-range Coulomb interactions of the ions and electrons, and by magnetic fields, either applied externally or generated by currents within the plasma.
The plasma medium is inherently nonlinear because the electromagnetic fields are produced self-consistently by the charge density and currents associated with the plasma particles. The dynamics of such systems are complex, and understanding them requires new concepts and techniques. Plasma physics describes elementary processes in completely or partially ionized matter, using well-known principles at the microscopic level.
The Physics of Plasmas provides a systematic approach to the subject by discussing the models used to describe plasmas, starting with particle-orbit theory, then proceeding to the fluid description, magneto-hydrodynamics, wave modes, the kinetic description, radiation processes, nonlinear effects, and ending with a chapter on the mathematical structure underlying the theoretical models used in plasma physics.
The book provides a comprehensive and refreshing view of plasmas concentrating on the physical interpretation of plasma phenomena. It is advertised as ideally suited to advanced graduate and graduate students of physics, astronomy, applied physics and engineering, with which I wholly agree. The advanced researcher will also find the book of interest and value in its treatment of both natural and laboratory plasmas. In fact anyone interested in plasma physics will find it a very useful book.
