Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, May 2009.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1967. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-200). Also available in electronic version.

In this work we have studied linear wave propagation in magnetized plasmas using a fully relativistic kinetic equation of spin-1/2 particles in the long scale approximation. The linearized kinetic equation is very long and complicated, hence we worked with restricted geometries in order to simplify the calculations. The dispersion relation of the relativistic model was calculated and compared with a dispersion relation from a previous work at the semi-relativistic limit. Moreover, a new mode was discovered that survives in the zero temperature limit. The origin of the mode in the kinetic equation was discussed and derived from a non-relativistic kinetic equation from a previous work.

Nesta tese, estudamos cosmologias com criação de matéria como alternativa ao modelo $\\Lambda$CDM. Generalizamos a equação de Boltzmann relativística com um termo de produção de partículas fenomenológico, de tal forma que a equação resultante seja capaz de reobter os resultados da termodinâmica de não-equilíbrio das equações de balanço e evolução de temperatura. Após obter o termo correto para a equação generalizada de Boltzmann, investigamos como o formalismo proposto altera a equação de evolução de relíquias cósmicas na presença de criação gravitacional de partículas. / In this thesis, we study matter creation cosmologies as an alternative to the $\\Lambda$CDM model. We generalize the relativistic Boltzmann equation with a phenomenological particle production term, in such a way that the resulting equation will be able to reproduce the non-equilibrium thermodynamics results of the balance equations and temperature evolution law. After obtaining the correct term to the generalized Boltzmann equation, we investigate how the proposed formalism changes the cosmic relic evolution equation in the presence of gravitational particle creation.

This master thesis is devoted to the kinetic description in phase space of strongly magnetized plasmas. It addresses the problem of stability near equilibria for magnetically confined plasmas modeled by the relativistic Vlasov Maxwell system. A small physically pertinent parameter ε, with 0 < ε << 1, related to the inverse of a gyrofrequency, governs the strength of a spatially inhomogeneous applied magnetic field given by the function x→ε−1Be(x). Local C1-solutions do exist. But these solutions may blow up in finite time. This phenomenon can only happen at high velocities [14] and, since ε−1is large, standard results predict that this may occur at a time Tε shrinking to zero when ε goes to 0. It has been proved recently in [7] that, in the case of neutral, cold, and dilute plasmas (like in the Earth’s magnetosphere), smooth solutions corresponding to perturbations of equilibria exist on a uniform time interval [0,T], with 0< T independent of ε. We investigate here the hot situation, which is more suitable for the description of fusion devices. A condition is derived for which perturbed W1,∞-solutions with large initial momentum also exist on a uniform time interval, they remain bounded in the sup norm for well-prepared initial data, and moreover they inherit some kind of stability. / Graduate

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