Nonlinear Plasma Dynamics at Laser Irradiation [electronic resource] : Notes from lectures presented during the winter semester 1978/79 at the Department of Laser Physics, Institute of Applied Physics, University Berne, Switzerland, written under editorial assistance of P. Schwarzenbach / edited by Heinrich Hora.

Aim and scope -- Rewiew of phenomena and results -- Elements of the microscopic plasma theory -- Hydrodynamics -- Self-similarity model -- Plasma dynamics and Lorentz theory -- Waves in inhomogeneous plasma -- Equation of motion -- Momentum transfer and the abraham-minkowski-problem -- Numerical and experimental examples — solitons -- Striated motion and resonance absorption -- Self-focussing of laser beams in plasma -- Laser compression of plasma for nuclear fusion.