Statistical Physics of Dense Plasmas: Elementary Processes and Phase Transitions

This authoritative text offers a complete overview on the statistical mechanics and electrodynamics of physical processes in dense plasma systems. The author emphasizes laboratory-based experiments and astrophysical observations of plasma phenomena, elucidated through the fundamentals. The coverage encompasses relevant condensed matter physics, atomic physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics, including such key topics as phase transitions, transport, optical and nuclear processes. This essential resource also addresses exciting, cutting edge topics in the field, including metallic hydrogen, stellar and planetary magnetisms, pycnonuclear reactions, and gravitational waves.

Scientists, researchers, and students in plasma physics, condensed matter physics, materials science, atomic physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics will benefit from this work.

Setsuo Ichimaru is a distinguished professor at the University of Tokyo, and has been a visiting member at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Johannes Kepler University, and the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics. He is a recipient of the Subramanyan Chandrasekhar Prize of Plasma Physics from the Association of Asia-Pacific Physical Societies and the Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Setsuo Ichimaru is Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, where he was a faculty member for nearly fifty years. He earned his doctorate in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a world renowned expert in the area of statistical physics of plasmas, and was the 2014 recipient of the Subramanyan Chandrasekhar Prize of Plasma Physics from the Association of Asia-Pacific Physical Societies. He was also awarded the Humboldt-Forschungspreis prize from Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung. He was a visiting member at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, a Visiting Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, San Diego, and a guest professor at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Johannes Kepler University, and the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics.