Combustion Physics

This book provides the latest achievements and original research work in physics of combustion processes and application of the methods developed in combustion physics for astrophysical problems of stars burning, supernovae explosions and a confined thermonuclear fusion. All the materials in the book are presented in a concise and easily accessible way, but at the same time provides a deep physical inside in the phenomena considered. It is an effective theoretical course with the direct practical implications in engineering fields of engine’s development, energy production, safety issues inherent to terrestrial combustion, as well as in thermonuclear combustion in the inertial fusion. This book is aimed at university students, Ph.D. students and engineers, as well as professionals in combustion, energy-related research, astrophysics and researchers in neighboring fields.

Michael A. (Mikhail) Liberman is a professor of theoretical physics at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (Nordita) Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University. His scientific interests span from plasma physics to quantum coherence, Bose–Einstein condensation of excitons, combustion theory and astrophysics.

A graduate of Moscow State University, Liberman obtained his Ph.D. from the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, commencing his career as a theoretical physicist with the guidance from legendary scientists, Yakov Zel’dovich and Ilia Lifshits at the L. Landau theoretical department of the famous  P. L. Kapitza  Institute for Physical Problems. During that period, he was awarded his second doctorate degree (‘habilitation’) at the G. I.  Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics. In 1993, Liberman was elected professor of theoretical physics at Uppsala University. He is currently a professor at NORDITA, emeritus at Uppsala University and honorary professor at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

He authored over 300 peer-reviewed papers. He also served as a principal investigator on numerous projects for the Swedish National Foundation Research Council, Swedish Energy Agency, Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences and as a scientific consultant of National laboratories in the USA and global industry.