Physics and Applications of Complex Plasmas

At the frontiers of physics and chemistry lies the new and rapidly emerging area of complex plasma systems. The study of complex plasma systems that contain colloid nano/microscopic particles is now actively pursued in a diverse range of scientific fields — from plasma and gas discharge physics, to astrophysics, materials science and engineering. This book highlights, in a systematic, insightful, and perceptive way, the fundamental physics and industrial applications of complex plasmas, with emphasis on the conditions relevant to laboratory gas discharges and industrial plasma reactors. It provides a specialized and comprehensive description of the most recent theoretical, experimental, and modeling efforts to understand the unique properties of complex plasma systems involving the stability, dynamics, and self-organization of colloid particles and their associations. Special attention is focused on the physical understanding of up-to-date developments in major technological applications of micron and nano-sized particles. Each chapter is presented in a concise and comprehensive manner, with a categorized overview of the underlying physics followed by an in-depth description. The book will appeal to scientists and researchers as well as undergraduate and graduate students wishing to explore the flourishing interdisciplinary field of complex plasma systems.