Plasma Science

Focusing on the field of plasma science, this book discusses its 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 themes such as fundamental plasma experiments and plasma science education.

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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.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
FINDINGS
CONCLUSIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS
PART I Overview
INTRODUCTION
THE ROLE OF PLASMA SCIENCE IN OUR SOCIETY
Wave-Particle Interactions and Plasma Heating
Magnetic Reconnection and Dynamo Action
Basic Plasma Experiments
Theory and Computational Plasma Physics
Education in Plasma Science
LOW-TEMPERATURE PLASMAS
NONNEUTRAL PLASMAS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT FUSION
SPACE PLASMAS
CENTRAL MESSAGES OF THIS REPORT
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
PART II Topical Areas
INTRODUCTION
LIGHTING
GAS DISCHARGE LASERS
PLASMA ISOTOPE SEPARATION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMAS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL AND REDUCTION
PLASMA PROCESSING OF MATERIALS
Recommendations
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
RECENT ADVANCES IN NONNEUTRAL PLASMAS
Electron Plasmas
Ion Plasmas
Ion Plasmas in Electron-Beam Ion Traps
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Stochastic Effects
Strongly Coupled Nonneutral Plasmas
Antimatter
Ion Sources with Enhanced Brightness
Pressure Standard in Ultrahigh-Vacuum Regime
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Laser Fusion
Ion-Beam Fusion
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
Past Achievements
Future Prospects
Past Achievements
Future Prospects
Introduction and Background
Future Research and Technical Opportunities
Introduction and Background
Introduction and Background
Future Prospects
Past Achievements
Introduction and Background
Recent Advances
Future Prospects
CONCLUSIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Intense Charged-Particle Beams
Accelerators
Coherent Radiation Sources
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Background
Status
Ground-Based Techniques
Plasma Theory and Simulations
Wave-Particle Interactions
Charged-Particle and Plasma Energization
The Critical Ionization Velocity Effect
Plasma and Neutral Mass Injections
Wave Injection Experiments
Vehicle-Environment Interactions
In Situ Observations
Terrestrial Observation Networks
Laboratory Experiments
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Magnetized Disks, Winds, and Jets
Formation of Low-Mass Stars
Structure of Collisionless Shocks
Magnetic Reconnection
TRAINING IN PLASMA ASTROPHYSICS
FUNDING FOR PLASMA ASTROPHYSICS
Recommendation
PART III Board Areas of Plasma Science
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Bernstein Waves.
Magnetically Trapped Particle Instabilities.
Ponderomotive Forces and the Filamentation of Electromagnetic Radiation.
Plasma Reorganization.
Quasilinear Effects and Single-Wave Stochasticity.
Plasma Sources
Mechanical Probes
Laser-Based Optical Diagnostics
Data Acquisition and Processing
Intense Laser-Plasma Interactions.
Turbulence.
Sheaths, Boundary Layers, and Double Layers.
Plasmoids.
Dynamo Action.
Magnetic Reconfiguration.
Optical Diagnostics
Massively Parallel Plasma Diagnostics
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Hamiltonian Transport
Gyrokinetics
Nonlinear Laser-Plasma Interaction
Collisional Relaxation of Nonneutral Plasmas
Nonlinear Plasma Processes
Boundary Layers
Alpha-Particle Effects in Magnetically Confined Plasmas
Nonlinear Interaction of Intense Electromagnetic Waves with Plasmas
Space Plasmas
Turbulence
Particle Acceleration
Plasma Confinement and Transport
Chaotic Effects
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
DEGREE PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
ESTIMATE OF FUTURE SUPPLY OF PLASMA PHYSICISTS
GENERAL COMMENTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
PART IV Conclusion
APPENDICES
A Federal Funding Data
B Letters to Funding Agencies
C List of Agencies Contacted