Preface

Plasma science and technology (PST) is a discipline investigating fundamental transport behaviors, interaction physics, and reaction chemistry of plasma, which is the fourth fundamental state of matter, and its applications in different technologies and fields. Plasma has uses in refrigeration, biotechnology, health care, microelectronics and semiconductors, nanotechnology, and space and environmental sciences, and more. Modern semiconductor devices and thin film solar cell technologies can be fabricated through plasma processes and PST to be economically viable. Plasma technology is a key advancement in modern medicine and health care. It can be used to manufacture bioengineering devices that depend on plasma processes to harden artificial joints and plan biocompatible surfaces on tissue scaffolding. In addition, PST can be used to create systems that expel plasma as a propellant for spacecraft.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of PST, including information on different types of plasma, basic interactions of plasma with organic materials, plasma-based energy devices, low-temperature plasma for complex systems, and more.

Chapter 1 introduces the exciting field of cold atmospheric pressure (CAP) plasma and its applications in the biomedical field. Chapter 2 discusses the thermal effects induced by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuation to suppress dynamic ice accretion over the surface of an airfoil/wing model for aircraft icing mitigation. Chapter 3 focuses on synthesizing nanomaterials using an emerging technology called in-liquid plasma. In Chapter 4, the authors investigate the effects of polarization on thermal conductivity for a wide range of plasma parameters using a homogeneous non-equilibrium molecular dynamics method. In Chapter 5, the authors employ a molecular dynamics simulation method to investigate threedimensional electrorheological complex (dusty) plasmas. Chapter 6 examines the impact of porosity, rotation, and finite ion Larmor radius (FLR) corrections on thermal instability of immeasurable homogeneous plasma and the corresponding effects of radiative heat-loss function and thermal conductivity. Chapter 7 analyzes a non-linear parametric interaction between very low frequency (VLF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) waves in the ionosphere. Chapter 8 discusses the basic theory and latest developments of terahertz radiation schemes using a free-electron beam to interact with periodic electromagnetic structures. Chapter 9 introduces new types of dissipative streaming instabilities. Chapter 10 reports the shortcomings of Hall thrusters and their erosion problems of the channel walls, figures of merit, and a comparison with chemical propulsion. This chapter also discusses the various waves and electromagnetic instabilities propagating in a Hall thruster magnetized plasma. Chapter 11 discusses the Hall-type accelerator with

closed electron drift and open walls both theoretically and experimentally. Finally, Chapter 12 discusses gyro devices as the most suitable millimeter-wave sources for heating plasma in tokamaks.

**Dr. Aamir Shahzad**

Professor (Associate), Modeling and Simulation Laboratory, Department of Physics, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan Section 1
