A good working knowledge of fluid mechanics and plasma physics is essential for the modern astrophysicist. This graduate textbook provides a clear, pedagogical introduction to these core subjects. Assuming an undergraduate background in physics, this book develops fluid mechanics and plasma physics from first principles. This book is unique because it presents neutral fluids and plasmas in a unified scheme, clearly indicating both their similarities and their differences. Also, both the macroscopic (continuum) and microscopic (particle) theories are developed, establishing the connections between them. Throughout, key examples from astrophysics are used, though no previous knowledge of astronomy is assumed. Exercises are included at the end of chapters to test the reader's understanding. This textbook is aimed primarily at astrophysics graduate students. It will also be of interest to advanced students in physics and applied mathematics seeking a unified view of fluid mechanics and plasma physics, encompassing both the microscopic and macroscopic theories.

This volume contains papers arising out of the program of the Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) of the University of California at Santa Bar bara, August-December 1991, on the subject "Topological Fluid Dynamics". The first group of papers cover the lectures on Knot Theory, Relaxation un der Topological Constraints, Kinematics of Stretching, and Fast Dynamo Theory presented at the initial Pedagogical Workshop of the program. The remaining papers were presented at the subsequent NATO Advanced Re search Workshop or were written during the course of the program. We wish to acknowledge the support of the NATO Science Committee in making this workshop possible. The scope of "Topological Fluid Dynamics" was defined by an earlier Symposium of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechan ics (IUTAM) held in Cambridge, England in August, 1989, the Proceedings of which were published (Eds. H.K. Moffatt and A. Tsinober) by Cambridge University Press in 1990. The proposal to hold an ITP program on this sub ject emerged from that Symposium, and we are grateful to John Greene and Charlie Kennel at whose encouragement the original proposal was formu lated. Topological fluid dynamics covers a range of problems, particularly those involving vortex tubes and/or magnetic flux tubes in nearly ideal fluids, for which topological structures can be identified and to some extent quantified.

Theory and modelling with direct numerical simulation and experimental observations are indispensable in the understanding of the evolution of nature, in this case the theory and modelling of plasma and fluid turbulence. Plasma and Fluid Turbulence: Theory and Modelling explains modelling methodologies in depth with regard to turbulence phenomena a

Presents in a systematic and unified manner the ray method, in its various forms, for studying nonlinear wave propagation in situations of physical interest, essentially fluid dynamics and plasma physics.

A good working knowledge of fluid mechanics and plasma physics is essential for the modern astrophysicist. This graduate textbook provides a clear, pedagogical introduction to these core subjects. Assuming an undergraduate background in physics, this book develops fluid mechanics and plasma physics from first principles.This book is unique because it presents neutral fluids and plasmas in a unified scheme, clearly indicating both their similarities and their differences. Also, both the macroscopic (continuum) and microscopic (particle) theories are developed, establishing the connections between them. Throughout, key examples from astrophysics are used, though no previous knowledge of astronomy is assumed. Exercises are included at the end of chapters to test the reader s understanding. This textbook is aimed primarily at astrophysics graduate students. It will also be of interest to advanced students in physics and applied mathematics seeking a unified view of fluid mechanics and plasma physics, encompassing both the microscopic and macroscopic theories.