General Prerequisites: Prequel: Kinetic Theory (MT), an undergraduate course on Electricity and Magnetism.
Course Overview: 18 lectures.
Areas: CMT, Astro, foundational course.
Sequel: Collisional Plasma Physics (TT) (note however that this course is self-contained and can be taken without continuing to Collisional Plasma Physics). (TT).
Homework deadlines are:
Week 3, Wednesday 23:59.
Week 6, Wednesday 23:59.
Link to submit homework to TA Javier Maurino-Alperovich: https://cloud.maths.ox.ac.uk/index.php/s/TXic5xnCAqyKzBk
Course Syllabus:
Part I. Magnetized plasmas:
Particle motion. Drift kinetics. Drift waves and slab Ion Temperature Gradient instability. Barnes damping of compressional Alfven waves.
Part II. Plasma waves:
Cold plasma waves in a magnetized plasma. WKB theory of cold plasma wave propagation in an inhomogeneous plasma, cut-offs and resonances. Hot plasma waves in a magnetized plasma. Cyclotron resonance.
External Lecturer(s):
Dr Michael Hardman
Assessment Type:
Take-home examination or no formal assessment; homework completion