PHYSICS 259: Plasma Physics: From Astrophysics to Z-pinches

This course explores the fundamental physics of plasmas and how it can be applied to astrophysics, fusion energy, propulsion, manufacturing and medecine. The course uses python as a numerical gateway to explore how the properties of plasmas in different regimes, from black hole accretion disks to particle accelerators. Besides homeworks and a mid-term exam, the course requires the completion of a project using Jupyter notebooks.

An outline of the course can be found here.

PREREQUISITES: PHY121; PHY122; PHY 123 or PHY 143