Plasma Physics: An Introduction to Laboratory, Space, and Fusion Plasmas

Alexander Piel, Plasma Physics: An Introduction to Laboratory, Space, and Fusion Plasmas, Heidelberg, 2010, ISBN-10: 3642104908, ISBN-13: 978-3642104909

From the preface: "This book is an outgrowth of courses in plasma physics which I have taught at Kiel University for many years. During this time I have tried to convince my students that plasmas as different as gas dicharges, fusion plasmas and space plasmas can be described in a unified way by simple models.
The challenge in teaching plasma physics is its apparent complexity. The wealth of plasma phenomena found in so diverse fields makes it quite different from atomic physics, where atomic structure, spectral lines and chemical binding can all be derived from a single equation – the Schrödinger equation. I positively accept the variety of plasmas and refrain from subdividing plasma physics into the traditional, but artificially separated fields, of hot, cold and space plasmas. This is why I like to confront my students, and the readers of this book, with examples from so many fields. By this approach, I believe, they will be able to become discoverers who can see the commonality between a falling apple and planetary motion. ..."