Role within programme and connections to other courses. Plasmas are sometimes referred to as the fourth state of matter. In a plasma, charge separation between electrons and ions gives rise to electric fields, and the movements of these charged particles result in currents and magnetic fields. Understanding the behaviour of plasmas involves mechanics, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics, and thus a plasma physics course contributes toward the overall goal of the physics programme by calling on us to combine knowledge from a variety of subfields of physics. Plasmas are found in many branches of physics (e.g. particle physics, condensed matter, astrophysics) and so the knowledge gained in this course will be of great value in many fields.
Content. Single particle motion, trajectories and drift, plasmas as fluids (electron fluid and ion fluid, single fluid magnetohydrodynamics), waves in a fluid plasma. Usually alternates with Continuum & Fluid Mechanics.