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Plasma science is the study of ionized states of matter. This book discusses the field's potential contributions to society and recommends actions that would optimize those contributions. It includes an assessment of the field's scientific and technological status as well as a discussion of broad themes such as fundamental plasma experiments, theoretical and computational plasma research, and plasma science education.

Suggested Citation

National Research Council. 1995. Plasma Science: From Fundamental Research to Technological Applications. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/4936.

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Publication Info

224 pages |  6 x 9 | 

ISBNs: 
  • Paperback:  978-0-309-05231-3
  • Ebook:  978-0-309-17638-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/4936
Chapters skim
Front Matter i-xxii
FINDINGS 1-1
CONCLUSIONS 2-2
RECOMMENDATIONS 3-4
PART I Overview 5-6
INTRODUCTION 7-7
THE ROLE OF PLASMA SCIENCE IN OUR SOCIETY 8-10
Wave-Particle Interactions and Plasma Heating 11-13
Magnetic Reconnection and Dynamo Action 14-14
Basic Plasma Experiments 15-16
Theory and Computational Plasma Physics 17-17
Education in Plasma Science 18-18
LOW-TEMPERATURE PLASMAS 19-19
NONNEUTRAL PLASMAS 20-20
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION 21-21
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT FUSION 22-23
SPACE PLASMAS 24-25
CENTRAL MESSAGES OF THIS REPORT 26-27
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 28-30
PART II Topical Areas 31-32
INTRODUCTION 33-35
LIGHTING 36-36
GAS DISCHARGE LASERS 37-37
PLASMA ISOTOPE SEPARATION 38-38
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS 39-39
PLASMAS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL AND REDUCTION 40-41
PLASMA PROCESSING OF MATERIALS 42-44
Recommendations 45-46
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 47-47
RECENT ADVANCES IN NONNEUTRAL PLASMAS 48-48
Electron Plasmas 49-49
Ion Plasmas 50-50
Ion Plasmas in Electron-Beam Ion Traps 51-52
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES 53-53
Stochastic Effects 54-54
Strongly Coupled Nonneutral Plasmas 55-55
Antimatter 56-56
Ion Sources with Enhanced Brightness 57-57
Pressure Standard in Ultrahigh-Vacuum Regime 58-58
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 59-59
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 60-60
Laser Fusion 61-61
Ion-Beam Fusion 62-63
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES 64-68
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 69-70
INTRODUCTION 71-71
Past Achievements 72-72
Future Prospects 73-73
Past Achievements 74-74
Future Prospects 75-76
Introduction and Background 77-78
Future Research and Technical Opportunities 79-79
Introduction and Background 80-80
Introduction and Background 81-82
Future Prospects 83-83
Past Achievements 84-85
Introduction and Background 86-86
Recent Advances 87-87
Future Prospects 88-88
CONCLUSIONS 89-89
RECOMMENDATIONS 90-91
Intense Charged-Particle Beams 92-93
Accelerators 94-95
Coherent Radiation Sources 96-97
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 98-99
Background 100-100
Status 101-102
Ground-Based Techniques 103-104
Plasma Theory and Simulations 105-105
Wave-Particle Interactions 106-106
Charged-Particle and Plasma Energization 107-107
The Critical Ionization Velocity Effect 108-108
Plasma and Neutral Mass Injections 109-109
Wave Injection Experiments 110-110
Vehicle-Environment Interactions 111-111
In Situ Observations 112-115
Terrestrial Observation Networks 116-116
Laboratory Experiments 117-117
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 118-119
Magnetized Disks, Winds, and Jets 120-120
Formation of Low-Mass Stars 121-122
Structure of Collisionless Shocks 123-123
Magnetic Reconnection 124-124
TRAINING IN PLASMA ASTROPHYSICS 125-125
FUNDING FOR PLASMA ASTROPHYSICS 126-126
Recommendation 127-128
PART III Board Areas of Plasma Science 129-130
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 131-132
Bernstein Waves. 133-133
Magnetically Trapped Particle Instabilities. 134-134
Ponderomotive Forces and the Filamentation of Electromagnetic Radiation. 135-135
Plasma Reorganization. 136-136
Quasilinear Effects and Single-Wave Stochasticity. 137-138
Plasma Sources 139-140
Mechanical Probes 141-141
Laser-Based Optical Diagnostics 142-142
Data Acquisition and Processing 143-143
Intense Laser-Plasma Interactions. 144-144
Turbulence. 145-145
Sheaths, Boundary Layers, and Double Layers. 146-146
Plasmoids. 147-147
Dynamo Action. 148-148
Magnetic Reconfiguration. 149-149
Optical Diagnostics 150-150
Massively Parallel Plasma Diagnostics 151-151
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 152-155
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 156-158
Hamiltonian Transport 159-159
Gyrokinetics 160-160
Nonlinear Laser-Plasma Interaction 161-161
Collisional Relaxation of Nonneutral Plasmas 162-162
Nonlinear Plasma Processes 163-163
Boundary Layers 164-164
Alpha-Particle Effects in Magnetically Confined Plasmas 165-165
Nonlinear Interaction of Intense Electromagnetic Waves with Plasmas 166-166
Space Plasmas 167-167
Turbulence 168-168
Particle Acceleration 169-169
Plasma Confinement and Transport 170-170
Chaotic Effects 171-171
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 172-173
DEGREE PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS 174-176
ESTIMATE OF FUTURE SUPPLY OF PLASMA PHYSICISTS 177-177
GENERAL COMMENTS 178-179
RECOMMENDATIONS 180-182
PART IV Conclusion 183-186
APPENDICES 187-188
A Federal Funding Data 189-192
B Letters to Funding Agencies 193-198
C List of Agencies Contacted 199-208

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