Ebook: Physical Processes in Hot Cosmic Plasmas

Gas at temperatures exceeding one million degrees is common in the Universe. Indeed it is likely that most of the gas in the Universe exists in intergalactic space in this form. Such highly-ionized gas, or plasma, is not restricted to the rarefied densities of intergalactic space, but is also found in clusters of galaxies, in galaxies themselves, in the expanding remnants of exploded stars and at higher densities in stars and the collapsed remains of stars up to the highest densities known, which occur in neutron stars. The abundant lower-Z elements, at least, in such gas are completely ionized and the gas acts as a highly conducting plasma. It is therefore subject to many cooperative phenomena, which are often complicated and ill-understood. Many of these processes are, however, well-studied (if not so well-understood) in laboratory plasmas and in the near environment of the Earth. Astronomers therefore have much to learn from plasma physicists working on laboratory and space plasmas and the parameter range studied by the plasma physicists might in turn be broadened by contact with astronomers. With that in mind, a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Physical Processes in Hot Cosmic Plasmas was organized and took place in the Eolian Hotel, Vulcano, Italy on May 29 to June 2 1989. This book contains the Proceedings of that Workshop.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Supernova Remnants as Probes of the Interstellar Medium....Pages 1-16
X-Ray Observations of Supernova Remnants....Pages 17-28
Spectral Analysis of a Tokamak Plasma in the VUV-Range....Pages 29-37
Ionization of Hot Plasmas....Pages 39-65
Particle Acceleration Near Astrophysical Shocks....Pages 67-80
Numerical Simulations of Collisionless Shocks....Pages 81-139
Numerical Simulations of Vlasov Equilibria....Pages 141-155
Classical Transport Properties of Plasmas....Pages 157-180
Progress in LTE and Non-LTE Radiative Transport Properties....Pages 181-195
Transport Processes in Hot Dense Plasmas: General Results and the Evolution of Pulsar Magnetic Fields....Pages 197-220
Mathematical Problems in Dynamo Theory....Pages 221-234
Generation of Cosmic Magnetic Fields....Pages 235-245
The Origin of Galactic Magnetic Fields....Pages 247-254
Recent Developments in the Theory of Magnetic Reconnection....Pages 255-269
Conduction and Turbulence in Intracluster Gas....Pages 271-297
A Hot Intergalactic Medium....Pages 299-306
The Evolution of Non-Spherical Thermal Instabilities in Cooling Flows....Pages 307-313
The Mass Spectrum of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays....Pages 315-323
Plerionic Supernova Remnants....Pages 325-340
Energy Loss Mechanisms for Fast Particles....Pages 341-355
An Introduction to Relativistic Plasmas in Astrophysics....Pages 357-381
X-Rays and Gamma-Rays at Cosmological Distances....Pages 383-394
Synchrotron self-absorption as a thermalizing mechanism....Pages 395-400
Reacceleration and Pair Loading in Compact Sources....Pages 401-406
Quantum Effects in Magnetized Electron-Positron Plasmas: Synchrotron Pair Cascades and Gamma-ray Burst Spectra....Pages 407-424
Gamma-Rays from Accretion Processes and Relativistic Beams....Pages 425-442
Back Matter....Pages 443-447

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Supernova Remnants as Probes of the Interstellar Medium....Pages 1-16
X-Ray Observations of Supernova Remnants....Pages 17-28
Spectral Analysis of a Tokamak Plasma in the VUV-Range....Pages 29-37
Ionization of Hot Plasmas....Pages 39-65
Particle Acceleration Near Astrophysical Shocks....Pages 67-80
Numerical Simulations of Collisionless Shocks....Pages 81-139
Numerical Simulations of Vlasov Equilibria....Pages 141-155
Classical Transport Properties of Plasmas....Pages 157-180
Progress in LTE and Non-LTE Radiative Transport Properties....Pages 181-195
Transport Processes in Hot Dense Plasmas: General Results and the Evolution of Pulsar Magnetic Fields....Pages 197-220
Mathematical Problems in Dynamo Theory....Pages 221-234
Generation of Cosmic Magnetic Fields....Pages 235-245
The Origin of Galactic Magnetic Fields....Pages 247-254
Recent Developments in the Theory of Magnetic Reconnection....Pages 255-269
Conduction and Turbulence in Intracluster Gas....Pages 271-297
A Hot Intergalactic Medium....Pages 299-306
The Evolution of Non-Spherical Thermal Instabilities in Cooling Flows....Pages 307-313
The Mass Spectrum of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays....Pages 315-323
Plerionic Supernova Remnants....Pages 325-340
Energy Loss Mechanisms for Fast Particles....Pages 341-355
An Introduction to Relativistic Plasmas in Astrophysics....Pages 357-381
X-Rays and Gamma-Rays at Cosmological Distances....Pages 383-394
Synchrotron self-absorption as a thermalizing mechanism....Pages 395-400
Reacceleration and Pair Loading in Compact Sources....Pages 401-406
Quantum Effects in Magnetized Electron-Positron Plasmas: Synchrotron Pair Cascades and Gamma-ray Burst Spectra....Pages 407-424
Gamma-Rays from Accretion Processes and Relativistic Beams....Pages 425-442
Back Matter....Pages 443-447
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