Ray Tracing and Beyond: Phase Space Methods in Plasma Wave Theory

E. R. Tracy; A. J. Brizard; A. S. Richardson; A. N. Kaufman

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511667565

This complete introduction to the use of modern ray tracing techniques in plasma physics describes the powerful mathematical methods generally applicable to vector wave equations in non-uniform media, and clearly demonstrates the application of these methods to simplify and solve important problems in plasma wave theory. Key analytical concepts are carefully introduced as needed, encouraging the development of a visual intuition for the underlying methodology, with more advanced mathematical concepts succinctly explained in the appendices, and supporting Matlab and Raycon code available online. Covering variational principles, covariant formulations, caustics, tunnelling, mode conversion, weak dissipation, wave emission from coherent sources, incoherent wave fields, and collective wave absorption and emission, all within an accessible framework using standard plasma physics notation, this is an invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers in plasma physics.

- Aa Reduce text
- Aa Enlarge text

View selected items
Save to my bookmarks
Export citations
Download PDF (zip)
Save to Kindle
Save to Dropbox
Save to Google Drive
Save content to
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to .

To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Please be advised that item(s) you selected are not available.
You are about to save
Your Kindle email address

Please provide your Kindle email.

@free.kindle.com @kindle.com (service fees apply)

By using this service, you agree that you will only keep content for personal use, and will not openly distribute them via Dropbox, Google Drive or other file sharing services

Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Dedication
pp v-vi
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Contents
pp vii-xii
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Preface
pp xiii-xviii
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Acknowledgements
pp xix-xxii
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

1 - Introduction
pp 1-61
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

2 - Some preliminaries
pp 62-79
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

3 - Eikonal approximation
pp 80-153
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

4 - Visualization and wave-field construction
pp 154-182
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

5 - Phase space theory of caustics
pp 183-227
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

6 - Mode conversion and tunneling
pp 228-326
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

7 - Gyroresonant wave conversion
pp 327-393
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Appendix A - Cold-plasma models for the plasma dielectric tensor
pp 394-405
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Appendix B - Review of variational principles
pp 406-411
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Appendix C - Potpourri of other useful mathematical ideas
pp 412-425
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Appendix D - Heisenberg–Weyl group and the theory of operator symbols
pp 426-452
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Appendix E - Canonical transformations and metaplectic transforms
pp 453-478
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Appendix F - Normal forms
pp 479-499
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Appendix G - General solutions for multidimensional conversion
pp 500-510
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Glossary of mathematical symbols
pp 511-513
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Author index
pp 514-516
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Subject index
pp 517-521
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Total number of HTML views: 0

Total number of PDF views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

Total views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.

Ray Tracing and Beyond

Phase Space Methods in Plasma Wave Theory

This Book has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by Crossref.

Book description

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Dedication
pp v-vi

Contents
pp vii-xii

Preface
pp xiii-xviii

Acknowledgements
pp xix-xxii

1 - Introduction
pp 1-61

2 - Some preliminaries
pp 62-79

3 - Eikonal approximation
pp 80-153

4 - Visualization and wave-field construction
pp 154-182

5 - Phase space theory of caustics
pp 183-227

6 - Mode conversion and tunneling
pp 228-326

7 - Gyroresonant wave conversion
pp 327-393

Appendix A - Cold-plasma models for the plasma dielectric tensor
pp 394-405

Appendix B - Review of variational principles
pp 406-411

Appendix C - Potpourri of other useful mathematical ideas
pp 412-425

Appendix D - Heisenberg–Weyl group and the theory of operator symbols
pp 426-452

Appendix E - Canonical transformations and metaplectic transforms
pp 453-478

Appendix F - Normal forms
pp 479-499

Appendix G - General solutions for multidimensional conversion
pp 500-510

Glossary of mathematical symbols
pp 511-513

Author index
pp 514-516

Subject index
pp 517-521

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information

Ray Tracing and Beyond

Phase Space Methods in Plasma Wave Theory

Book description

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Save Search

Contents

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information