This book describes the coupling between elementary processes, plasma kinetics and electrodynamics in different types of electrical discharges and under non-equilibrium conditions. Analytical methods based on rigorous kinetic theory are developed to interpret the results obtained by numerical methods. Particular emphasis is placed on the kinetics of non-equilibrium N2, O2 and N2-02 plasmas as well as on conditions relevant to atmospheric physics, reentry problems and acoustic and shock waves in non-equilibrium atmospheric gases.

Emphasis is placed on the analysis of translational, rotational, vibrational and electronically excited state kinetics, coupled to the electron Boltzmann equation.