This volume presents the lecture notes of the 24th Advanced Course of the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy in March 1994 at Les Diablerets. In three lectures on magnetohydrodynamics, on kinetic plasma physics and on particle acceleration leading experts describe the physical basis of their subjects and extend the discussion to several applications in modern problems of astrophysics. In style and presentation the texts are well-suited for graduate work in plasma astrophysics, one of the very important tools of modern astronomy. The themes developed in this book will be helpful in understanding many processes in the universe from the solar corona to active galaxies.

This volume presents the lecture notes of the 24th Advanced Course of the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy in March 1994 at Les Diablerets. In three lectures on magnetohydrodynamics, on kinetic plasma physics and on particle acceleration leading experts describe the physical basis of their subjects and extend the discussion to several applications in modern problems of astrophysics. In style and presentation the texts are well-suited for graduate work in plasma astrophysics, one of the very important tools of modern astronomy. The themes developed in this book will be helpful in understanding many processes in the universe from the solar corona to active galaxies.

This introductory account of instabilities in plasmas concentrates on laboratory plasmas, such as those encountered in fusion research, and the space plasmas studied in physics of the magnetosphere and solar atmosphere. This account bridges the gap between a graduate textbook on plasma physics, and specialized similarities between astrophysical and laboratory plasmas that are traditionally regarded as quite separate. The author, an expert in plasma astrophysics who has written a two-volume book on the subject, treats the material naturally, lending a broader perspective to the subject. This is an instructional text for graduate students and professionals in magnetospheric and mathematical physics, radiophysics, solar and theoretical astrophysics and radio astronomy.

This is an advanced text on electromagnetic theory, presenting a systematic discussion of electromagnetic waves and radiation processes in a wide variety of media. The treatment, taken from the field of plasma physics, is based on the dielectric tensor, and this permits the discussion of media outside the scope of the usual approach adopted in most textbooks on electromagnetism. The approach taken also has notable advantages when applied to the conventional emission processes of electromagnetic theory. The authors have thus unified the approaches used in plasma physics and astrophysics on the one hand, and in optics on the other. The book has been written clearly and pedagogically, and will be therefore of value to senior undergraduates, graduate students, lecturers and researchers. Students will find the exercises provided at the end of each chapter particularly useful.

This is an advanced text on electromagnetic theory, presenting a systematic discussion of electromagnetic waves and radiation processes in a wide variety of media. The treatment, taken from the field of plasma physics, is based on the dielectric tensor, and this permits the discussion of media outside the scope of the usual approach adopted in most textbooks on electromagnetism. The approach taken also has notable advantages when applied to the conventional emission processes of electromagnetic theory. The authors have thus unified the approaches used in plasma physics and astrophysics on the one hand, and in optics on the other. The book has been written clearly and pedagogically, and will be therefore of value to senior undergraduates, graduate students, lecturers and researchers. Students will find the exercises provided at the end of each chapter particularly useful.