| Unit name | Advanced Electromagnetism and Plasma Physics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYSM1800 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Dugdale |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites | |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Maxwell's equations; Lorentz force; relativistic formulation; electromagnetic waves; motions of relativistic charged particles. Debye shielding; collective effects. Hamiltonian formulation; conservation laws; adiabatic invariants. Drift motions in Tokamak and related field configurations. Equations of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). MHD equilibrium. Frozen-in fields; field diffusion. MHD waves. Kinetic theory; Boltzmann equation. Derivation of fluid equations. Waves in plasmas (two-fluid approach). Wave-particle interactions; Landau damping.
Aims:
The unit aims to familiarise the student with the manipulation of the Maxwell equations and the Lorentz force, to understand the motions of charged particles and the generation of fields. It then shows how the physics of plasmas can be understood by combining electrodynamics with the continuum mechanics of gases, and introduces the student to the range of phenomena that can come under the heading of plasma physics.
Students taking this course will become familiar with manipulating the Maxwell equations, the Lorentz force, and the equations of magnetohydrodynamics. They will understand how structures in the fields can lead to deviations from simple gyromotion, and the basics of plasma flows and plasma stability. By the end of the unit they will be able to manipulate the equations and understand the energetics and motions of particles and fields in simple configurations.
Lectures, problems classes, computational demonstrations.
1.5-hour written examination.
