Reader Reviews

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