Kinetic Description of Plasmas

Abstract

In this Chapter, a brief introduction is given to the kinetic description of a plasma with an arbitrary velocity distribution by means of the Vlasov equation. A simple physical picture for Landau damping is presented that is focused on the role of resonant particles. Further, as a practical example for solving Vlasov-Poisson problems, the formation of virtual cathodes in space-charge limited electron flows is discussed. As a complementary approach to kinetic phenomena, particle-in-cell simulations of electron trapping in wave fields and blocking oscillations of electron beams are discussed.

“All right”, said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.

Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland