Introduction to Modern Magnetohydrodynamics

Ninety-nine percent of ordinary matter in the Universe is in the form of ionized fluids or plasmas. The study of the magnetic properties of such electrically conducting fluids magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) has become a central theory in astrophysics as well as in areas such as engineering and geophysics. This textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to MHD and its recent applications in nature and in laboratory plasmas; from the machinery of the Sun and galaxies to the cooling of nuclear reactors and the geodynamo. It exposes advanced undergraduate and graduate students to both classical and modern concepts making them aware of current research and the ever-widening scope of MHD. Rigorous derivations within the text supplemented by over 100 illustrations and followed by exercises and worked solutions at the end of each chapter provide an engaging and practical introduction to the subject and an accessible route into this wide-ranging field.