NE (NEEP) 525: Introduction to Plasmas

Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics

Engineering Physics : Nuclear Engineering : Courses :
NE (NEEP) 525 - Introduction to Plasmas

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NE 525: Introduction to Plasmas, Spring 2008 (Sovinec), formerly Course Homepage of Sovinec

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NE 525: Introduction to Plasmas, Spring 2007 (Wendt), formerly Course Homepage of Wendt

NE 525: Introduction to Plasmas, Spring 2006 (Zweibel), formerly Course Homepage of Zweibel

NE 525: Introduction to Plasmas, Spring 2004 (Anderson), formerly Course Homepage of Anderson

NE 525: Introduction to Plasmas, Fall 2003 (Whyte), formerly Course Homepage of Whyte

NE 525: Introduction to Plasmas, Spring 2001 (Shohet), formerly Course Homepage of instructor Shohet

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Catalog Description

525 Introduction to Plasmas. (Crosslisted with Physics, ECE 525.) I,II; 3cr. Theory of plasmas. Plasma kinetic theory, collisional processes, orbit theory, and hydrodynamic theory. Applications to plasmas and their measurement. P: One course each in electromagnetic fields and in mechanics beyond elementary physics.

Course Prerequisite(s)

Physics 322 or an intermediate level electromagnetic fields course
Physics 311 or an intermediate level mechanics course

Prerequisite knowledge and/or skills

Plasmas are distinguished by interactions between mechanical and electromagnetic phenomena. Students must have a command of both subjects in order to understand the interplay between the two (particle trajectories due to forces imposed by electric and magnetic fields with a variety of spatial gradients, or energy exchange between electromagnetic field energy and particle kinetic energy)

Textbook(s) and/or other required material

F. F. Chen, Introduction to Plasmas and Controlled Fusion, 2nd edn., Plenum Press, 1984.
J. A. Bittencourt, Fundamentals of Plasma Physics, Pergamon Press, 1986.

Course objectives

Course Objectives: It is the instructor's intention to...

provide a prerequisite for almost all other plasma courses.

teach students to become proficient in using fluid equations to study wave, stability and transport phenomena.

provide an introduction to plasma kinetic theory and waves in plasmas.

provide an introduction to controlled fusion research.

Course Outcomes: Students must be able to...

work on laboratory research projects.

understand a significant fraction of material prsented at the weekly plasma seminar.

take more advanced plasma courses.

assess career opportunities in plasma-related areas.

Topics covered

Basic description of a plasma; occurrence in nature and laboratory (2 classes)
Single particle motion (4 classes)
Fluid equations applied to plasmas (3 classes)
Waves in plasma (6 classes)
Collisional processes, diffusion and resistivity (4 classes)
Equilibrium and stability (4 classes)
Introduction to kinetic theory (3 classes)
Nonlinear effects (2 classes)
Application to controlled fusion (2 classes)

Class/laboratory schedule

NEEP 525 meets twice a week in conventional 75-minute class periods.

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component

This course contributes primarily to the students' knowledge of engineering topics, but does not provide design experience.

The following statement indicates which of the following considerations are included in this course: economic, environmental, ethical, political, societal, health and safety, manufacturability, sustainability.

NEEP 525 covers basic plasma phenomena. It does not address any of the supplementary areas listed above.

Relationship of course to undergraduate degree program objectives and outcomes

This course serves students in a variety of engineering majors. The information below describes how the course contributes to the college's educational objectives.

NEEP 525 is cross-listed with Physics and ECE. It is typically taken as either a senior elective course or a first year graduate student course. It supports the objective of providing fundamental material necessary for a career in nuclear engineering (speifically, a career in which either low or high energy plasmas assumes a prominent position). It is likewise strongly support of the educational outcome which relates to applying advanced mathematical and scientific concepts to nuclear (plasma) systems.

Assessment of student progress toward course objectives

weekly problem sets
two in-class closed-book midterm exams
one open-book final exam

Person(s) who prepared this description

James D. Callen
Noah Hershkowitz
Robert J. Witt

Copyright 2007 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Date last modified: 18-Jul-2007
Date created: 29-Oct-1999
Content by: neep@engr.wisc.edu
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