Tokamak Plasma

This research monograph explores the plasma theory relevant to tokamak physics, providing an overview of the theory and an explanation of the present state of tokamak development.

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The importance of tokamaks and their role in fusion reactors has been known for some time, but it is only now that plasma physicists have reached a clear understanding of the major principles governing the behaviour of confined high-temperature plasma.
This book gives a timely and comprehensive survey of these concepts as well as a simple presentation of the basic physics involved. The topics discussed include: the theory of plasma equilibrium and its main instabilities, semi-empirical approaches for investigating heat transport, major plasma instabilities restricting the region of a tokamak's operating modes, a variety of plasma confinement regimes and other phenomena such as MARFE, magnetic bubbles and fishbones. The author proposes a new mechanism for anomalous heat transport connected with the idea of microscale 'island' structure.
The information is presented in a clear and systematic way which will make this book interesting and useful to a broad spectrum of scientists and engineers involved in fusion reactor research.
'...an excellent book - authoritative, broad and bristling with insight' Professor R D Hazeltine, The University of Texas at Austin.