PLASMA PHYSICS AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS : A Student-First Textbook for MSc Physics

You have sat in a lecture. The equation went on the board. The professor moved on. And you were left wondering — why does it work that way?This book was written to answer that question. Every time.Plasma Physics and Nuclear Physics: A Student-First Textbook for MSc Physics is a comprehensive, examination-aligned textbook written specifically for postgraduate physics students across Indian universities. It covers the complete MSc syllabus—Nuclear Physics, Plasma Physics, and Fusion—in a single, cohesive volume, with one unwavering commitment: understanding before memorization. What this book covers:The book is structured across four parts and fourteen chapters. Part I opens with a self-contained mathematical toolkit—vector calculus, all four Maxwell equations, and the derivation of the electromagnetic wave equation—so that every student starts from the same foundation regardless of their undergraduate preparation.Part II covers nuclear physics in full: nuclear composition, size, and density; mass defect and binding energy; the semi-empirical mass formula with all five terms derived from physical principles; radioactivity and decay laws; nuclear reactions and Q-values; and nuclear reactors, including the six-factor formula and criticality conditions.Part III moves into plasma physics—the fourth state of matter that makes up over 99% of all visible matter in the universe. It covers Debye shielding and the Debye length, the plasma parameter, the three criteria for plasma behavior, the plasma frequency, particle motion in electric and magnetic fields, E×B and gradient drifts, magnetic mirrors, magnetohydrodynamics, and plasma waves, including Alfvén waves and electromagnetic wave propagation.Part IV covers Fusion Physics: the physics of the D-T reaction, the Lawson criterion, magnetic and inertial confinement, tokamak design, the ITER project, the NIF ignition milestone of December 2022, India's SST-1 tokamak and contributions to ITER, and the emerging private fusion industry.How this book is different:Every chapter opens with a plain-language explanation of what the topic is and why it matters—before a single equation appears. Every derivation is broken into numbered steps with the reasoning explained at each stage. Every chapter contains fully solved examples that show the complete thought process, not just the final answer. Every chapter ends with graded practice questions: 2-mark definitions, 6-mark derivations, and 10-mark essay questions—followed by NET and GATE level challenges for students aiming higher.A master formula sheet covering every testable equation, a complete glossary, model examination papers, and a curated bibliography round out the back matter."To every student who ever felt lost in a physics lecture because the textbook refused to explain itself — you were never the problem."Poornima Gontiya is an M.Sc. Physics graduate, author, and science communicator. She writes at the intersection of science, clarity, and storytelling.Amazon Author Page: amazon.in/stores/POORNIMA-GONTIYA/author/B09NPNMKXF Read more