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Plasma Transport Theory
Art: Not determined, Figure 6 of Radio-active substances, 1904 · Public domain
- Instructor
- Prof. Kim Molvig
- Term
- Fall 2003
- Level
- Graduate
- What's inside
- 12 problem sets · 1 lecture note · 1 reading · 3 other files · 5 web pages
- Materials open
- MIT OCW
About this course
Source: MIT OpenCourseWare 22.616 Plasma Transport Theory, Fall 2003, Prof. Kim Molvig — original course page on ocw.mit.edu ↗. License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Study order: MIT's own listing order, section by section. Taken from MIT's published course files, downloaded from ocw.mit.edu on September 23, 2026. How RedLectern is built.
Materials are grouped the way MIT organized them. A verified, course-wide order has not been established here.
Has MIT solutions
Before you start
Prerequisites are not listed here. Check MIT's own syllabus for this course.
How this course was organized
What's here, and what isn't
- A lecture sequence of 13 items is confirmed. Assignment and exam materials exist too, but MIT's own order for them could not be verified, so they're shown as materials below rather than a sequence.
Not included here
9 items from the source could not be safely included:
- MIT's page format for this item wasn't recognized clearly enough to place it safely. (8 items)
- Referenced in a table, but without MIT's own verified order, so it isn't used to claim a sequence.
Materials by section
Grouped by section, as MIT organized them. Not sequenced or ordered.
Lecture Notes
- Written Notes for these Lectures (2 sets): (1) Collisions and Transport Theory I Download
- Collisions and Transport Theory II: Electrical Conductivity - Spitzer Problem Download
Assignments
12 problem sets
- Problem Set 1 Download
- Lecture 3 · Problem Set 1 · Solutions Download
- Problem Set 2 Download
- Lecture 5 · Problem Set 2 · Solutions Download
- Problem Set 3 Download
- Lecture 6-7 · Problem Set 3 · Solutions Download
- Problem Set 4 Download
- Lecture 9 · Problem Set 4 · Solutions Download
- Problem Set 5 Download
- Lecture 14 · Problem Set 5 · Solutions Download
- Problem Set 6 Download
- Lecture 18-19 · Problem Set 6 · Solutions Download
Exams
Course outline
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 2: Diffusion Equation Solutions and Scaling Initial Value Problem Steady State Heating Problem (temperature) w/ Power Source Density Behavior: (a) Include Pinch Effect Magnetic Field Diffusion Velocity Space Diffusion: (a) Relaxation Behavior w/o Friction, (b) Need for Friction in Equilibration
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 3: _Coulomb Collision Operator Derivation _Written Notes for these Lectures (2 sets) Fokker-Planck Equation Derivation
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 4: Coulomb Collision Operator Derivation II Calculation of Fokker-Planck Coefficients Debye Cutoff: (a) Balescu-Lenard form and (b) Completely Convergent Form Collision Operator Properties: (a) Conservation Laws, (b) Positivity, (c) H-Theorem
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 5: Coulomb Collision Operator Derivation III Electron-ion Lorentz Operator Energy Equilibration Terms Electrical Conductivity - The Spitzer-Harm Problem: (a) Example of Transport Theory Calculation Runaway Electrons
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 8: Classical Transport in Guiding Center Picture Alternate Formulation Displays Microscopic Physics more clearly (needs Gyrofrequency » Collision Frequency) Follows Hierarchy of Relaxation Processes - “Collisionless Relaxation” Transformation to Guiding Center Variables: (a) Physical Interpretation Gyro-averaged Kinetic Equation IS Drift Kinetic Equation Gyro-averaged Collision Operator: Spatial KINETIC Diffusion of Guiding Center Transport Theory Ordering
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 9: Classical Transport in Guiding Center Picture II Expansion of Distribution Function and Kinetic Equation: (a) Maximal Ordering (Math and Physics) Zero Order Distribution - Local Maxwellian 1st order - Generalized Spitzer problem: (a) Inversion of (Velocity Space) (b) Collision Operator, (c)Integrability Conditions and Identification of Thermodynamic Forces 2nd order - Transport Equations: (a) Integrability Conditions Yield Transport Equations, (c) Complete Specification of Zero Order f Transport Coefficient Evaluations: (a) Equivalence to Prior Results Physical Picture of Flows: (a) Guiding Center Flows and “Magnetization” Flows
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 10: Random (Stochastic) Processes, Fluctuation, etc. (Intro.) Probability and Random Variables Ensemble Averages Stochastic Processes: (a) Fluctuating Electric Fields, (b) Correlation Functions, (c) Stationary Random Process Integrated Stochastic Process - Diffusion: (a) Example of Integral of Electric Field Fluctuations giving Velocity Diffusion, (b) Integrated Diffusion Process
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 11: Distribution Function of Fluctuations Central Limit Theorem “Normal Process” Definition: (a) Cumulant Expansion Mentioned, (b) Example of Guiding Center Diffusion Coefficient
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 12: Fluctuation Spectra – Representation of Fields Fourier Representation of Random Variable: (a) Mapping of “All Curves” to Set of All Fourier Coefficients, (b) Fourier Spectral Properties for Stationary Process, (c) Equivalence of “Random Phase Approximation” Physical Interpretation in Terms of Waves Definition of Spectrum as FT of Correlation Function Generalize to Space & Time Dependent Fields: (a) Statistical “Homogeneity” Continuum Limit Rules
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 13: Diffusion Coefficient from Fluctuation Spectrum Stochastic Process Evaluation of Particle Velocity Diffusion Coefficient from Homogeneous, Stationary Electric Field Fluctuation Spectrum Physical Interpretation via Resonant Waves Superposition of Dressed Test Particles - Field Fluctuations Diffusion (Tensor) from Discreteness Fluctuations - Collision Operator Correlation Time Estimates
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 14: Turbulent Transport – Drift Waves Space Diffusion of Guiding Center from Potential Fluctuations and ExB Drift Estimates and Scalings from Drift Wave Characteristics: (a) Bohm scaling, (b) Gyro-Bohm Scaling from Realistic Saturated Turbulence Level
Calendar · Lecture Notes
Lecture 15: Coulomb Collision Operator Properties Correct Details of Electron-ion Operator Expansion Including Small v Behavior Energy Scattering Fast ion Collisions, Alpha Slowing Down and Fusion Alpha Distribution
MIT OpenCourseWare, Prof. Kim Molvig, 22.616 Plasma Transport Theory, Fall 2003.
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Edition: Fall 2003 · Open the original course on OCW ↗
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