The Universe is made up of systems consisting of a very large number of particles interacting in a very complex way. When studying these systems, a precise microscopic approach is unattainable. In practice, the best strategy is one that is able to “distinguish” between superfluous information and the information needed to make predictions about the evolution of the system. There are two main competing approaches: kinetic and hydrodynamic. Collective Phenomena in Plasmas and Elsewhere presents an overview of the theoretical bases of these kinetic and hydrodynamic approaches, but also discusses their limitations, the links between them and their extension to quantum mechanics and relativity. These methods were born in part out of the study of plasmas, but they also have more universal applications. A general framework for these approaches is outlined, followed by some applications in plasmas, gravitation, Bose–Einstein condensates and dark matter. Particular emphasis is placed on the analogies that can be made between all these different systems.

Plasma science is the study of ionized states of matter. This book discusses the field's potential contributions to society and recommends actions that would optimize those contributions. It includes an assessment of the field's scientific and technological status as well as a discussion of broad themes such as fundamental plasma experiments, theoretical and computational plasma research, and plasma science education.

The volume illustrates the State of the art and new directions in plasma physics, space physics, and astrophysics. It covers several hot topics of interdisciplinary interest where progress is made by the use of joint expertise. It summarizes an unusually lively symposium that has gathered world experts with a broad spectrum of research interests. Interdisciplinary meetings at the border between plasma physics and astrophysics are becoming increasingly important. In the recent past, several proceedings volumes have been devoted to astrophysical plasmas. This volume has the unique feature of being professional but not specialized, because it covers an unusually broad spectrum of topics under the common theme of the study of complex and collective phenomena in macroscopic systems, from the scale of laboratory plasma experiments to the scale of the universe. Included are: - basic plasma processes - space plasmas, planetary plasmas, and the heliosphere - solar and stellar plasmas - plasmas around compact objects - plasmas in galaxies - plasmas in clusters of galaxies - cosmological plasmas - testing plasma astrophysics in the laboratory