Understanding how magnetically driven compression shapes axially symmetric plasmas
This book presents a two-fluid, collision-free model for plasma pinch problems, and shows how magnetic fields drive inward flow without forming shocks. It compares two-fluid predictions to one-fluid results and explains the role of pressure and geometry in nan the evolution of the plasma column.
The discussion moves from the physics setup to the mathematical framework and numerical methods. You’ll learn how the equations of motion are derived from Vlasov theory, how boundary and initial conditions are handled, and how stability is analyzed through an energy integral. The text also analyzes different pinch configurations and what happens when electron pressure is included or neglected.
- Learn the physical setup of theta, z-theta, and mixed-field pinches and how they respond to boundary magnetic fields.
- See how a two-fluid model differs from a one-fluid model and why this matters for stability and discontinuities.
- Understand the numerical approach, including finite difference schemes and how energy methods assess stability.
- Explore how pressure, density, and magnetic fields interact to shape boundary behavior and wave propagation.
Ideal for readers of plasma physics and fusion theory who want a rigorous, model-based view of magnetic compression in cylindrical plasmas.