About This Book
Plasma Astrophysics�� History and Neighbours

1 Particles and Fields�� Exact Self-Consistent Description
1.1 Interacting particles and Liouville's theorem
1.1.1 Continuity in phase space
1.1.2 The character of particle interactions
1.1.3 The Lorentz force, gravity
1.1.4 Collisional friction in plasma
1.1.5 The exact distribution function
1.2 Charged particles in the electromagnetic field
1.2.1 General formulation of the problem
1.2.2 The continuity equation for electric charge
1.2.3 Initial equations and initial conditions
1.2.4 Astrophysical plasma applications
1.3 Gravitational systems
1.4 Practice�� Exercises and Answers

2 Statistical Description oflnteracting Particle Systems
2.1 The averaging of Liouville's equation
2.1.1 Averaging over phase space
2.1.2 Two statistical postulates
2.1.3 A statistical mechanism of mixing in phase space
2.1.4 The derivation of a general kinetic equation
2.2 A collisionalintegral and correlation functions
2.2.1 Binary interactions
2.2.2 Binary correlation
2.2.3 The collisional integral and binary correlation
2.3 Equations for correlation functions
2.4 Practice�� Exercises and Answers

3 Weakly-Coupled Systems with Binary Collisions
3.1 Approximations for binary collisions
3.1.1 The small parameter of kinetic theory
3.1.2 The Vlasov kinetic equation
3.1.3 The Landau collisionalintegral
3.1.4 The Fokker-Planck equation
3.2 Correlation function and Debye shielding
3.2.1 The Maxwellian distribution function
3.2.2 The averaged force and electric neutrality
3.2.3 Pair correlations and the Debye radius
3.3 Gravitational systems
3.4 Comments on numerical simulations
3.5 Practice�� Exercises and Answers

4 Propagation of Fast Particles in Plasma
4.1 Derivation of the basic kinetic equation
4.1.1 Basic approximations
4.1.2 Dimensionless kinetic equation in energy space
4.2 A kinetic equation at high speeds
4.3 The classical thick-target model
4.4 The role of angular diffusion
4.4.1 An approximate account of scattering
4.4.2 The thick-target model
4.5 The reverse-current electric-field effect
4.5.1 The necessity for a beam-neutralizing current
4.5.2 Formulation of a realistic kinetic problem
4.5.3 Dimensionless parameters of the problem
4.5.4 Coulomb losses of energy
4.5.5 New physical results
4.5.6 To the future models
4.6 Practice��Exercises and Answers

5 Motion of a Charged Particle in Given Fields
5.1 A particle in constant homogeneous fields
5.1.1 Relativistic equation of motion
5.1.2 Constant non-magnetic forces
5.1.3 Constant homogeneous magnetic fields
5.1.4 Non-magnetic force in a magnetic field
5.1.5 Electricand gravitational drifts
5.2 Weakly inhomogeneous slowly changing fields
5.2.1 Small parameters in the motion equation
5.2.2 Expansion in powers of m/e
5.2.3 The averaging over gyromotion
5.2.4 Spiral motion of the guiding center
5.2.5 Gradient and inertial drifts
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6 Adiabatic Invariants in Astrophysical Plasma
7 Wave-Particle Interaction in Astrophysical Plasma
8 Coulomb Collisions in Astrophysical Plasma
9 Macroscopic Description of Astrophysical Plasma
10 Multi-Fluid Models of Astrophysical Plasma
11 The Generalized Ohm-s Law in Plasma
12 Single-Fluid Models for Astrophysical Plasma
13 Magnetohydrodynamics in Astrophysics
14 Plasma Flows in a Strong Magnetic Field
15 MHD Waves in Astrophysical Plasma
16 Discontinuous Flows in a MHD Medium
17 Evolutionarity of MHD Discontinuities
18 Particle Acceleration by Shock Waves
19 Plasma Equilibrium in Magnetic Field
20 Stationary Flows in a Magnetic Field

Appendix 1. Notation
Appendix 2. Useful Expressions
Appendix 3. Constants
Bibliography
Index