Physics of Collisional Plasmas

Michel Moisan, Professor in the Physics Department of the Université de Montréal (Québec) is a well-known specialist of HF generated discharges. He currently works on a plasma steriliser for medical devices. He is co-inventor in 31 different patents, including the surfatron and surfaguide surface-wave launchers to sustain HF discharges.  Jacques Pelletier is Emeritus Research Director (CNRS) in the Laboratory of Subatomic Physics and Cosmology, Grenoble (France). He designed several generations of plasma-source technologies based on the concept of distributed elementary microwave-plasma sources. He currently works on the design of low-energy plasmas for lighting. He is co-inventor in over 40 patents. Both authors contributed to create the International Laboratory on Plasma Applications and Technologies (LITAP) with research groups from France and Québec working on different aspects of low pressure microwave plasma technologies and their application to certain domains (biology, thin films, etching).  They have taught at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. Through this book, their experience as teachers and researchers in cooperation with industry is made available to all readers interested in the fascinating domain of plasma.

Preface.- Acknowledgments.- Symbols.- Acronyms.- Physical constants.- Other constants.- 1  The Plasma State: Definition and orders of magnitude of principal quantities.- 2  Individual motion of a charged particle in electric and magnetic fields.- 3 Hydrodynamic description of a plasma.- 4 Introduction to the physics of HF discharges.- Appendices I – XIX.- References.- Recommended reading.- Index.