Product Description
This complete introduction to plasma physics and controlled fusion by one of the pioneering scientists in this expanding field offers both a simple and intuitive discussion of the basic concepts of this subject and an insight into the challenging problems of current research. In a wholly lucid manner the work covers single-particle motions, fluid equations for plasmas, wave motions, diffusion and resistivity, Landau damping, plasma instabilities and nonlinear problems. For students, this outstanding text offers a painless introduction to this important field; for teachers, a large collection of problems; and for researchers, a concise review of the fundamentals as well as original treatments of a number of topics never before explained so clearly. This revised edition contains new material on kinetic effects, including Bernstein waves and the plasma dispersion function, and on nonlinear wave equations and solitons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Better than Bittencourt.
Good solid introduction to plasma physics.Fairly general introduction geared towards advanced undergraduates and grad students.There are better books which concentrate on applications, both of which I own.Sturrock for geophysical and earth plasma physics and Kulsrud for astrophysics.

Plasma physicists do it with confinement
I took an intro to plasma physics class using this book at the undergraduate level - and this book was perfect. It has a good blend of experimental evidence, theory, and math. The derivations are really good, you can follow along in the margins. The pictures are clear and beautiful, the page layout easy on the eyes. This is not a graduate text, but aimed at the advanced undergrad level. You should already know calculus, complex analysis, EM, and linear algebra before learning this material.

Clearly and simplified
The texts of this book are not long,but are very clear in physics concepts and are simplied:
1.All important math steps to prove the physics are mentioned(not released to the reader) in simplied way so that readers can know clearly both the math steps and physics meanings without being buffered by complecated math steps.
2.The author mentioned clearly the physics meaning of any equation.

I am a bachalor of physics,such kind of textbook(clear and simple and friendly) I had had only two:textbook named "Introduction to Electrodynamic" and "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" written by famous author,Mr. Grify.

As a result,I think it is a very good textbook,at least for students who start to learn plamsa physics.

Really not a graduate text
I picked up this book for my graduate plasma 1 class alongside Goldston's book.The material is geared towards undergrads and would have been great had I picked up the book two years ago.Instead I found that I hardly opened Chen and stuck with Goldston or course notes.So if you are an undergrad or someone who is just generally interested in plasma physics this is probably what you should be buying.If you are a grad student and don't have it already then there is a decent chance that if you buy this book all you will get out of it is a warm feeling in your heart from knowing that you have the same book on your shelf that every other plasma physicist has.

It Just Keeps Coming in Handy
I first bought this text for an undergraduate course in plasmas, and I liked it then -- Chen's first few chapters will get you through the basics without any undue suffering (you'll hurt because the subject can be difficult, not because the text is unclear.) After spending a few months on my shelf, it reappeared for some research I was doing that required me to get comfortable with a few different types of plasma waves. Now Chen has come back into my life -- I'm taking a graduate course in kinetic theory of plasmas, and I find myself opening up this book on a daily basis to figure something out. This textbook has served me well, and if you're doing work (coursework or research) in the plasmas field, it will likely serve you well, too. The first four or five chapters are written so that a senior-level physics undergrad can understand them, so you get a nice conceptual grasp of the subject (as well as good reference material on more advanced topics.)

One point: I wouldn't recommend buying this as a "teach yourself plasma physics on a desert island" kind of book. If you can find someone who knows the subject, though, Chen will help you to learn a lot after they've explained a few basic points.

Basic subjects covered are:

Orbit theory (single particle motion, adiabatic invariants)
Fluid approximation
Plasma waves (O, X, R, L, acoustic, and many others)
Diffusion and resistivity
Equilibrium/stability issues
Kinetic theory
Assorted non-linear effects ... Read more

Product Description
Considering the worldwide increase of interest in fusion research over the last decade - the recognition that a large number of new, environmentally attractive, sustainable energy sources will be needed to meet ever-increasing demands for electrical energy, is obvious. This book serves up the latest interest in alternative energy. Based on a series of graduate course notes in plasma physics and fusion energy at MIT, the text begins with an overview of world energy needs, current methods of energy generation, and the potential role that fusion may play in the future. It covers energy issues such as the production of fusion power, power balance, the design of a simple fusion reactor, and the basic plasma physics issues faced by the developers of fusion power. This book is suitable for graduate students and researchers working in applied physics and nuclear engineering. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Clear explanations of plasma physics in the fusion context
I have found this book immensely useful and a pleasure to read as a senior undergraduate engaging in summer research in fusion. It is perfect for learning basic plasma physics in the context of fusion, which may not be easy with books that discuss plasma more generally (such as F.F. Chen's introductory book, though that is very good). The writing is highly structured and clear physical pictures are presented.

There is a nice opening section on energy options and where fusion fits in, and there are sections on fusion reactor types and technologies. ... Read more

Product Description

Assuming no prior knowledge of plasma physics or numerical methods, Computational Methods in Plasma Physics covers the computational mathematics and techniques needed to simulate magnetically confined plasmas in modern magnetic fusion experiments and future magnetic fusion reactors. Largely self-contained, the text presents the basic concepts necessary for the numerical solution of partial differential equations.

Along with discussing numerical stability and accuracy, the author explores many of the algorithms used today in enough depth so that readers can analyze their stability, efficiency, and scaling properties. He focuses on mathematical models where the plasma is treated as a conducting fluid, since this is the most mature plasma model and most applicable to experiments. The book also emphasizes toroidal confinement geometries, particularly the tokamak—a very successful configuration for confining a high-temperature plasma. Many of the basic numerical techniques presented are also appropriate for equations encountered in a higher-dimensional phase space.

One of the most challenging research areas in modern science is to develop suitable algorithms that lead to stable and accurate solutions that can span relevant time and space scales. This book provides an excellent working knowledge of the algorithms used by the plasma physics community, helping readers on their way to more advanced study.

Product Description
Although interesting in its own right, due to the ever increasing use of satellites for communication and navigation, weather in the ionosphere is of great concern.Every such system uses trans-ionospheric propagation of radiowaves, waves which must traverse the often turbulent ionosphere.Understanding this turbulence and predicting it are one of the major goals of the National Space Weather program.Acquiring such a prediction capability will rest on understanding the very topics of this book, the plasma physics and electrodynamics of the system.

*Fully updated to reflect advances in the field in the 20 years since the first edition published
*Explores the buffeting of the ionosphere from above by the sun and from below by the lower atmosphere
*Unique text appropriate both as a refence and for coursework. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

complex global dynamics
Much remains to be studied about the ionosphere, as made clear by this latest annual report of global research on the subject. The papers describe complex and sometimes turbulent interactions between an intrinsic neutral atmosphere and the effect of the sun's impinging radiation, that creates and maintains the ionosphere.

Some papers look at the equatorial zone, where there is no Coriolis effect, with implications for special localised atmospheric events. Other papers go to the mid to high latitudes and study transition effects.

The book also includes a collection of colour plates that vividly convey many observational results. ... Read more

Product Description

Fundamentals of Plasma Physics is a general introduction designed to present a comprehensive, logical and unified treatment of the fundamentals of plasma physics based on statistical kinetic theory, with applications to a variety of important plasma phenomena. Its clarity and completeness makes the text suitable for self-learning and for self-paced courses.

Customer Reviews (4)

Good Book, Self Study Friendly
I have worked through a self study/directed reading course with this book and I can say that I enjoyed it. I think the statement made in the description of the book about 'emphasizing physical meaning' more than formality is a bit of a stretch. The book does have a great reading flow, but there are many times where just a short sentence detailing the geometric/physical meaning would make the reading go by so much faster. There were a few times where I had to spend 30+ minutes straightening out a claim made by the author that would have been resolved in two minutes with a another sentence and some reflection on my part. With that said, this book is still in the top tier of any physics book I have read, not the best, but it is still done very well. I enjoyed the detail that was gone into in the mathematical development - there is not much hand waving here. The bottom line is, if you are looking for a detailed mathematical approach to plasma physics (heavy calculus), this might be your book.

Great Book
I am a PhD student in Electrical Engineering, focussing on plasma physics. I have access to a lot of text books, and normally you find that one book is good for topic A, but not so good for topic B. However, in this book I could find all the topics that were of interest to me (in particular the Boltzmann equation and its moments), well-written and easy to understand.

Calculations are easy to follow and normally are explained by physical explanations using text and figures. The notation is reader-friendly, tensor analysis is avoided by using indices instead.

The book is a text book, so one should not expect the latest and most detailed science results, or derivations "from scratch" (like the BBGKY hierarchy). Instead, the reader should expect a solid and detailed introductory text into plasma physics that covers a large amount of topics.

To conclude, I can only recommend this book to every grad or undergrad student looking for a book to start with, or to brush up on some basics.

Too much math, not enough applications for me
This text was not what I was expecting.My interest is in semiconductors and I was looking for an introductory textbook on the physics underlying different types of plasma processing which could serve as an updated version of Glow Discharge Processes by Chapman.

This text has very little to do with applications and consists largely of page after page of calculus.My interest is in semiconductor processing which is not mentioned in the section on applications: Chapter 1 section 4.

Do not buy this unless your understanding of advanced calculus is very solid.

Plasma Goodness
I'm currently a student working in plasma research facility.I had a problem in the fact that I could not take the plasma physics course that is offered here for scheduling reasons.I therefor needed a book that has all the basics of plasma physics, yet is simple enough that i could teach myself this field of physics.This books is exactly that.For any student with a good background in electricity and magnetism, this book will pick up right from the maxwell equations and derives all the needed equations quite explicitly making the reading much easier to follow.Also, the good thing about this book is the sheer amount of material it covers on the topic.It contains all the basics an undergrade needs to know and even for graduate students, it is a great read.It is well written and never boring.For it's explicitness and it's broadness of topics, I absolutely recomend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This rigorous explanation of plasmas is relevant to diverse plasma applications such as controlled fusion, astrophysical plasmas, solar physics, magnetospheric plasmas, and plasma thrusters. More thorough than previous texts, it exploits new powerful mathematical techniques to develop deeper insights into plasma behavior. After developing the basic plasma equations from first principles, the book explores single particle motion with particular attention to adiabatic invariance. The author then examines types of plasma waves and the issue of Landau damping. Magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and stability are tackled with emphasis on the topological concepts of magnetic helicity and self-organization. Advanced topics follow, including magnetic reconnection, nonlinear waves, and the Fokker-Planck treatment of collisions. The book concludes by discussing unconventional plasmas such as non-neutral and dusty plasmas. Written for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduates, this text emphasizes the fundamental principles that apply across many different contexts. ... Read more

Product Description

Nonthermal plasma science and technology are rapidly developing, but information on both subjects has been scattered until now. Nonthermal Plasma Chemistry and Physics provides a comprehensive presentation of the basics of plasma physics as well as new developments in the rapidly growing field of nonthermal plasma chemistry. The book offers a detailed discussion of the fundamental elementary processes in plasma chemistry. Expert contributors address environmental aspects of plasma chemistry and how plasma chemistry can comply with the Kyoto protocol. The book also includes particular plasma conditions and specific applications in microelectronics and more.

Product Description
A nonneutral plasma is a many-body collection of charged particles in which there is not overall charge neutrality. The diverse areas of application of nonneutral plasmas include: precision atomic clocks, trapping of antimatter plasmas and antihydrogen production, quantum computers, nonlinear vortex dynamics and fundamental transport processes in trapped nonneutral plasmas, strongly-coupled one-component plasmas and Coulomb crystals, coherent radiation generation in free electron devices, such as free electron lasers, magnetrons and cyclotron masers, and intense charged particle beam propagation in periodic focusing accelerators and transport systems, to mention a few examples. This is a graduate-level text - complete with 138 assigned problems and the results from several classic experiments - which covers a broad range of topics related to the fundamental properties of collective processes and nonlinear dynamics of one-component and multispecies charged particle systems in which there is not overall charge neutrality. The theoretical analysis includes the full influence of dc space charge effects on detailed equilibrium, stability and transport properties. ... Read more

Product Description
Plasma physics is a necessary part of our understanding of stellar and galactic structure; it determines the magnetospheric environment of the earth and other planets; it forms the research frontier in such areas as nuclear fusion, advanced accelerators, and high power lasers; and its applications to various industrial processes (such as computer chip manufacture) are rapidly increasing. Thus, it is a subject with a long list of scientific and technological applications. This book provides the scientific background for understanding such applications, but it emphasizes something else: the intrinsic scientific interest of the plasma state. It attempts to develop an understanding of this state, and of plasma behavior, as thoroughly and systematically as possible. The book was written with the graduate student in mind, but most of the material would also fit into an upper-level undergraduate course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A rich reward
Plasma physics is a very rich subject. This author does a good job of introducing it to the reader. There are flaws with his methods, however. Some equations have variables which do not get defined or mentioned anywhere. They are identifiable after some mulling, but when the purpose of understanding the equations gets held up for lack of definitions, then it becomes somewhat annoying. Otherwise the book is good. ... Read more

Product Description
Physics of Solar System Plasmas provides a comprehensive introduction to the plasma physics and magnetohydrodynamics that are needed to study the solar wind and magnetosphere. The text includes a broad introduction to plasma physics, including important discussions of kinetic theory, single particle motion, magnetohydrodynamics, geomagnetically trapped energetic particles and the physics of magnetic reconnection. This leads into a thorough description of the Sun and the solar wind, and, finally, the author addresses magnetospheric physics. Among the topics covered here are magnetospheric morphology, bow shocks, magnetospheric convection and electrical currents, substorms, ionospheric physics, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, auroral physics and the interaction of the solar wind with the planets. Problem sets at the end of each chapter make this a useful text for advanced undergraduate students in astrophysics, geophysics, or atmospheric sciences. Graduate students and researchers will also find it a valuable source of information. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is on inertial confinement fusion, an alternative way to produce electrical power from hydogen fuel by using powerful lasers or particle beams. It involves the compression of tiny amounts (micrograms) of fuel to thousands times solid density and pressures otherwise existing only in the center of stars. Thanks to advances in laser technology, it is now possible to produce such extreme states of matter in the laboratory. Recent developments have boosted laser intensities again with new possibilities for laser particle accelerators, laser nuclear physics, and fast ignition of fusion targets. This is a reference book for those working on beam plasma physics, be it in the context of fundamental research or applications to fusion energy or novel ultrabright laser sources. The Physics of Inertial Fusion combines quite different areas of physics: beam target interaction, dense plasmas, hydrodynamic implosion and instabilities, radiative energy transfer as well as fusion reactions. Particular attention is given to simple and useful modelling, including dimensional analysis and similarity solutions. Both authors have worked in this field for more than 20 years. They want to address in particular those teaching this topic to students and all those interested in understanding the technical basis.

Now new in paperback. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent overview of ICF physics.
This book provides and excellent description of the necessary physics of inertial fusion. However, it is not for beginers. A solid understanding of hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, andstatistical mechanics is required in order to understand several chapters. The necessary nuclear physics is described in the first chapter. The book has many excellent plots. Advanced topics such as fast ignition are also covered. The book is a valuable resource for experimentalists and computational scientists working in this field.

The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because no description is given of the simulation codes used to generate results in the book. The authors' journal articles have that information and so you will need to look them up. ... Read more

Product Description
Divided into three main parts, the book guides the reader to an understanding of the basic concepts in this fascinating field of research. Part 1 introduces you to the fundamental concepts of simulation. It examines one-dimensional electrostatic codes and electromagnetic codes, and describes the numerical methods and analysis. Part 2 explores the mathematics and physics behind the algorithms used in Part 1. In Part 3, the authors address some of the more complicated simulations in two and three dimensions. The book introduces projects to encourage practical work Readers can download plasma modeling and simulation software — the ES1 program — with implementations for PCs and Unix systems along with the original FORTRAN source code.Now available in paperback, Plasma Physics via Computer Simulation is an ideal complement to plasma physics courses and for self-study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Basics of Computer Simulation of Plasmas
I've never done any computer simulation for plasmas before and was looking for a good introduction to how to go about it. I found this book to be an excellent introduction. Much better than any of the review articles I found on the subject, which tend to be terse. This book goes step by step and walks you through everything that goes into a very basic 1-D electrostatic code. It then tells you how to turn the electrostatic code into an electromagnetic one. The middle section of the book deals with the numerical methods used from a more mathematical standpoint (convergence & stability) and the last part goes into making 2D and 3D codes. I have to admit that I've only read the first part and glanced at the later sections for reference, but so far it's been an excellent reference.

My only complaint is that I wish there were a newer edition. The computational power the book assumes is much less than is currently available and in some ways that complicates the methods that are used. It does, however, teach you to be more efficient. I also found it annoying that the example code is in Fortran. I find it hard to understand Fortran code given the (necessarily) cryptic variable names and weird syntax.

... Read more

Product Description

This book is written by an experimentalist and covers all aspects of plasma physics at an introductory level. The fundamental concepts of plasma description are developed in a bottom-up approach of increasing mathematical complexity. The intuitive understanding of the concepts is emphasized. Different from most introductory texts, low-temperature plasmas, plasma discharges and plasma diagnostics get a much larger share. Controlled nuclear fusion is introduced and magnetic confinement is discussed at a simple level. Novel plasma phenomena as found in complex (dusty) plasmas are described. A large number of illustrations, worked out problems with solutions, and short summaries of the basics of each chapter make this text a companion for undergraduate and graduate students and a useful reference on the bookshelf.

Product Description
Introduction to Plasma Physics is the standard text for an introductory lecture course on plasma physics. The text’s six sections lead readers systematically and comprehensively through the fundamentals of modern plasma physics. Sections on single-particle motion, plasmas as fluids, and collisional processes in plasmas lay the groundwork for a thorough understanding of the subject. The authors take care to place the material in its historical context for a rich understanding of the ideas presented. They also emphasize the importance of medical imaging in radiotherapy, providing a logical link to more advanced works in the area. The text includes problems, tables, and illustrations as well as a thorough index and a complete list of references. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great, but I wouldn't use it alone
This book can be very useful as a graduate level plasma text, or a reference, or as something to put on your shelf to make you look like a "serious" plasma physicist.It covers drifts extremely well and I was reasonably pleased with the two fluid model.But in the end if you are trying to learn plasma physics this book really shines as a SUPPLEMENT and I imagine would be pretty frustrating as your only source to learn from.I bought this book and Chen's book for my graduate plasma 1 course.I never opened Chen, referenced Goldston often throughout the course (and as expected put a lot of focus on the class notes).But honestly, I think you probably already know if you need this book.

The 4th element
I am a university student who major in physics. and this book was a text in plasma course. As plasma group of princeton univ. is strong, this bookis strong enough to understand plasma. most favorite thing in this book issufficient explanation about the physical and mathmatical explanation. andthe not good thing is a little dirty mathmatical calculation. so if youwant clear mathmatics, I think you had better look another book. Anyway ifyou read this from cover to cover, you can learn ABC of Plasma. isn't itwonderful? ... Read more

Product Description
Plasma engineering is a rapidly expanding area of science and technology with increasing numbers of engineers using plasma processes over a wide range of applications. An essential tool for understanding this dynamic field, Plasma Physics and Engineering provides a clear fundamental introduction to virtually all aspects of modern plasma science and technology.These areas include: plasma chemistry and engineering, combustion, chemical physics, lasers, electronics and new methods of material treatment, fuel conversion and environmental control.

The book contains an extensive database on plasma kinetics and thermodynamics, many helpful numerical formulas for practical calculations, and a large number of problems and concept questions.As a foundational text, Plasma Physics and Engineeringis ideal for senior undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering, as well as for scientists and engineers studying phenomena taking place in cold and thermal discharge plasmas, in combustion, and laser systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

excellent text, 5 stars if it wasn't for the typos
This is a great reference, with wonderful physical insight into plasma kinetics mechanisms. Unfortunately the astonishing work of the authors is undermined by minor typos from the editor, which may throw off beginners- equations where charges or species don't add up, and the like. I could not find an errata yet, therefore only the 4 stars; but sincere congrats to the authors for such indepth and insightful work.

book for plasma engineers
Thisbookfocusesonthemost important and fundamental issues of
plasmaphysicsandapplicationsintoday's industry. It provides an
excellentintroductionandoverview of plasma. It covers almost all
aspectsofplasmaphysicsandengineering and has a lot of useful
examples.

Inthisbook,author gave a thorough consideration of the theory of
breakdown phenomena leading toformationofdifferentplasma
discharges and finally covered, in considerable depth, the physics and
main featuresbehindthemajordischargesintensivelyusedin
cutting-edgetechnologies.Alongwiththe well known material, the
mostinterestingand important innovations in area of plasma physics
are also gathered and discussed.

Itisextremelyuseful as reference and textbook. I highly recommend itto anyone interested in plasma. ... Read more

Product Description
Plasma Physicsis an authoritative and wide-ranging pedagogic study of the "fourth" state of matter. The constituents of the plasma state are influenced by electric and magnetic fields, and in turn also produce electric and magnetic fields. This fact leads to a rich array of properties of plasma described in this text.The author uses examples throughout, many taken from astrophysical phenomena, to explain concepts.In addition, problem sets at the end of each chapter will serve to reinforce key points.A basic knowledge of mathematics and physics is preferable to fully appreciate this text. This book provides the ideal introduction to this complex and fascinating field of research, balancing theoretical aspects with practical and preparing the graduate student for further study. ... Read more

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Product Description
This three-volume series presents the ideas, models and approaches essential to understanding plasma dynamics and self-organization for researchers and graduate students in plasma physics, controlled fusion and related fields such as plasma astrophysics. Volume I develops the physical kinetics of plasma turbulence through a focus on quasi-particle models and dynamics. It discusses the essential physics concepts and theoretical methods for describing weak and strong fluid and phase space turbulence in plasma systems far from equilibrium. The book connects the traditionally 'plasma' topic of weak or wave turbulence theory to more familiar fluid turbulence theory, and extends both to the realm of collisionless phase space turbulence. This gives readers a deeper understanding of these related fields, and builds a foundation for future applications to multi-scale processes of self-organization in tokamaks and other confined plasmas. This book emphasizes the conceptual foundations and physical intuition underpinnings of plasma turbulence theory. ... Read more

Product Description
A good working knowledge of fluid mechanics and plasma physics is essential for the modern astrophysicist. This graduate textbook provides a clear, pedagogical introduction to these core subjects. Assuming an undergraduate background in physics, this book develops fluid mechanics and plasma physics from first principles. This book is unique because it presents neutral fluids and plasmas in a unified scheme, clearly indicating both their similarities and their differences. Also, both the macroscopic (continuum) and microscopic (particles) theories are developed, establishing the connections between them. Throughout, key examples from astrophysics are used, though no previous knowledge of astronomy is assumed. Exercises are included at the end of chapters to test the reader's understanding. This textbook is aimed primarily at astrophysics graduate students. It will also be of interest to advanced students in physics and applied mathematics seeking a unified view of fluid mechanics and plasma physics, encompassing both the microscopic and macroscopic theories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Contemporary introduction to fluids and plasmas
This book is a modern introduction to the fascinating topics of fluids and plasmas. The author develops both the topics from first principles and treats them in a unified manner. His style is informal and narrative without being casual or chatty.

He starts off with showing how Navier-Stokes equations are a plausible consequence of Boltzmann equation thus assuring the reader that there is nothing new in the former. He then goes on to standard topics in fluid dynamics peppering his course with examples from astrophysics. Although the choice of topics leans towards those of astrophysical interests, the book never gives an impression that it is meant only for a select audience. Through out the course, it emphasizes essential physics relegating technicalities either to exercises or references.

The second part of the book develops plasma theory in a fashion similar to fluids in first part. It begins with motion of charged particles in an assortment of electromagnetic fields and plasma orbit theory.Later chapters gradually inch towards MHD via Vlasov equation and two-fluid model. The section ends with intriguing and rather hard topics of magnetic topologies and dynamo theory. I will credit the author for taking pains to make these topics accessible to a beginner in plasma physics. Of course, we pay price for simplicity by sacrificing rigor. But the reader is cautioned of it each time the author does so.

The book does not abruptly end after introducing basics but has an epilogue in which the author whets the readers' appetite by offering a glimpse into relativistic & radiation hydrodynamics. The venerable and old-fashioned hydrodynamics still has a lot of unchartered areas and the book succeeds in persuading the reader that these topics are relevant even today, rather more so now.

Wonderful Text.
This is a great book. It is clear, and organized very well.I wish it went into more detail, but it sets up a very solid foundation for understanding, and covers a very broad range of topics- it covers the board for Astrophysics.

From a student of Steve Balbus...
A clear exposition of all areas of astrophysical fluid dynamics (along with some plasma physics).I'm disappointed not to have found anything from the recent (and exciting) advances in MHD instabilities during the 1990s.The Balbus-Hawley Instability is completely ignored, which is a huge failure; this instability has revolutionized accretion disk theory and angular momentum transport, and has been the groundwork for a surge in numerical simulations of accretion disks.It's a great fundamental book nonetheless.

Useful addition to a fluid dynamics library
This book is intended for astrophysicists who want to learn some fluid dynamics and plasma physics.The book does cover traditional topics of plasma physics books--kinetic theory, continuum hydrodynamics andmagnetohydrodynamics, and plasma theory.There is a definite emphasis onastrophysical topics, although there are tidbits on aerodynamic lift,tokamaks, etc.It is sufficiently interesting to be of at least someinterest to general students of fluid dynamics or plasma physics.

Thebook begins with a sketch of the kinetic theory derivation of the NavierStokes equations, beginning with the Hamilton equations, and moving throughLiouville's theorem, the Boltzmann equation, and taking the BGKapproximation.It is only a sketch, not a full scale tutorial on kinetictheory, but I believe something along these lines does belong in any fluiddynamics course taught by a physics department.(Such courses are sadlyuncommon.)

The continuum derivation of the Navier-Stokes equations ispresented next, and I find it weak.I prefer the systematic,integral-based approaches found in books by, e.g., Panton and Kundu.Thereis NO discussion of the deformation (a.k.a. strain rate) tensor and theCauchy-Stokes decomposition. There are brief discussions of some standardflows (e.g, potential flow around a cylinder, viscous Poiseuille flow,aerodynamic lift) and a brief discussion of boundary layers.

Theremaining fluid dynamics chapters are on gas dynamics, waves andinstabilities, turbulence, and rotation.The turbulence chapter is thebest short introduction to Kolmogorov's -5/3 law that I've found; a goodpreface to reading the chapter on turbulence in other intro books, or evena dedicated turbulence book like Frisch. The remaining 7 chapters of thebook are on plasma physics, including magnetohydrodynamics (I'm not anexpert here, so I won't comment on them).

The book was favorably reviewedin "Comtemporary Physics" and "Journal of FluidMechanics", both reviewers praising the author's "engagingstyle" but expressing disappointment at the lack of more specialtopics in astrophysics. As long as a reader does not study this book inisolation, though, I think this would be an excellent supplement to his orher studies.I took this book with me on a vacation and enjoyed thereading.

A great book for the beginers.
This book is really going to help those who are interested in Astrophysical Plasma. I have got this book just at the begining of my research career. "The Physics of Fluids and Plasmas"has made aunique attempt,where theories of neutral fluids and plasmas are developedsimultaneously. Mathemetical details is very rare, but it understandable,since the title of this book contains "Introduction". ... Read more