Alfven-Wellen sind Plasmawellen, die als Träger von Energie und Information fungieren. Das Verständnis dieser Wellen ist von großer Wichtigkeit in der Astrophysik, der Physik der Magnetosphäre und Ionosphäre sowie in der Entwicklung von Fusionsreaktoren. Mit diesem Buch liegt jetzt ein Werk vor, das den aktuellen Stand der Forschung auf diesen Gebieten präsentiert. Dabei konzentriert sich der Autor nicht nur auf ideale Alfven-Wellen, sondern geht vor allem auf nichtlineare Effekte ein - ein Gebiet, auf dem Neil F. Cramer als Experte gilt. Obwohl selbst Theoretiker, legt er größten Wert auf die Einbeziehung von Experiment und Beobachtung.

Autorentext
Neil F. Cramer is the author of The Physics of *Alfven Waves, published by Wiley.

Zusammenfassung
Low-frequency wave modes of magnetized inhomogeneous plasmas have been subject to intense study in the last decade because they play important roles in the transport of energy in the plasmas. The "Alfven wave heating" scheme has been investigated as a supplementary heating scheme for fusion plasma devices, and it has been invoked as a model of the heating of the solar and stellar coronae.
This book covers the latest research into the properties and applications of low-frequency wave modes in magnetized plasmas, the Alfven waves and magneto-acoustic waves, in the context of laboratory, space and astrophysical plasmas. In particular, non-ideal effects on the dispersion relation and absorption properties of linear and non-linear waves are included, such as ion-cyclotron effects, friction between the ionized plasma and a background gas of neutral atoms, and the interaction of the plasma with dust particles.
The book also surveys the theory of Alfven and magnetoacoustic waves in inhomogeneous plasmas, as occur in realistic laboratory, space and astrophysical plasmas, with resulting localized wave modes such as surface waves. Waves are considered under a variety of plasma conditions, ranging from cold cosmic plasmas, to hot laboratory and solar plasmas, to the relativistic plasmas around pulsars.

Inhalt
DESCRIPTIONS OF MAGNETIZED PLASMAS
Introduction
The multi-fluid equations
The magnetohydrodynamic model
The Hall-MHD model
Fourier transforms
The kinetic theory
WAVES IN UNIFORM PLASMAS
Introduction
Waves with the MHD model
The Hall-MHD model
Cold collisionless plasmas
Collisional damping
Multiple Ion species
Kinetic theory of waves
Kinetic alfvén wave and inertial alfvén wave
WAVES IN NONUNIFORM PLASMAS
Introduction
Stratified plasmas
Waves in smooth nonuniformities
Alfvén resonance absorption
SURFACE WAVES
Introduction
Surfaces waves at density jumps
Finite ion cyclotron frequency effects
Multiple ion species
Ideal MHD
Magnetic field rotation
Radiative and collisional damping
Kinetic theory
INSTABILITIES AND NONLINEAR WAVES
Introduction
Instabilities
Acceleration of charged particles
Nonlinear waves
Parametric and modulational instabilities
Nonlinear kinetic and inertial alfvén waves
Nonlinear surface waves
LABORATORY PLASMAS
Introduction
Modes of bounded plasmas
Cylindrical geometry
Nonuniform plasmas
Effects of current
Discrete alfvén waves
Toroial alfvén eigenmodes
Current drive
Localized alfvén waves
SPACE AND SOLAR PLASMAS
Introduction
The magnetosphere
Solar and stellar winds
Dusty space plasmas
Cometary plasmas
The solar corona
Solar flux tubes
ASTROPHYSICAL PLASMAS
Introduction
Interstellar clouds
Pulsar magnetospheres
Concluding remarks