The "International Workshop on Theoretical Plasma Physics: Modern Plasma Science was held at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Abdus Salam ICTP), Trieste, Italy during the period 5–16 July 2004. The workshop was organized by P K Shukla, R Bingham, S M Mahajan, J T Mendonça, L Stenflo, and others. The workshop enters into a series of previous biennial activities that we have held at the Abdus Salam ICTP since 1989.
The scientific program of the workshop was split into two parts. In the first week, most of the lectures dealt with problems concerning astrophysical plasmas, while in the second week, diversity was introduced in order to address the important role of plasma physics in modern areas of science and technology. Here, attention was focused on cross-disciplinary topics including Schrödinger-like models, which are common in plasma physics, nonlinear optics, quantum engineering (Bose-Einstein condensates), and nonlinear fluid mechanics, as well as emerging topics in fundamental theoretical and computational plasma physics, space and dusty plasma physics, laser-plasma interactions, etc.
The workshop was attended by approximately hundred-twenty participants from the developing countries, Europe, USA, and Japan. A large number of participants were young researchers from both the developing and industrial countries, as the directors of the workshop tried to keep a good balance in inviting senior and younger generations of theoretical, computational and experimental plasma physicists to our Trieste activities.
In the first week, there were extensive discussions on the physics of electromagnetic wave emissions from pulsar magnetospheres, relativistic magnetohydrodynamics of astrophysical objects, different scale sizes turbulence and structures in astrophysics. The scientific program of the second week included five review talks (60 minutes) and about thirty invited topical lectures (30 minutes). In addition, during the two weeks, there were more than seventy poster papers in three sessions. The latter provided opportunities for younger physicists to display the results of their recent work and to obtain comments from the other participants. During the period 11–16 July 2004 at the Abdus Salam ICTP, we focused on nonlinear effects that are common in plasmas, fluids, nonlinear optics, and condensed matter physics. In addition, we concentrated on collective processes in space and dusty plasmas, as well as in astrophysics and intense laser-plasma interactions. Also presented were modern topics of nonlinear neutrino-plasma interactions, nonlinear quantum electrodynamics, quark-gluon plasmas, and high-energy astrophysics. This reflects that plasma physics is a truly cross-disciplinary and very fascinating science with many potential applications. The workshop was attended by several distinguished invited speakers. Most of the contributions from the second week of our Trieste workshop appear in this Topical Issue of Physica Scripta, which will be distributed to all the participants.
The organizers are grateful to Professor Katepalli Raju Sreenivasan, the director of the Abdus Salam ICTP, for his generous support and warm hospitality in Trieste. The Editors appreciate their colleagues and co-organizers for their constant and wholehearted support in our endeavours of publishing this Topical Issue of Physica Scripta. We highly value the excellent work of Mrs Ave Lusenti and Dr. Brian Stewart at the Abdus Salam ICTP. Thanks are also due to the European Commission for supporting our activity through the Research Training Networks entitled "Complex Plasmas" and "Turbulent Boundary Layers".
Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the Abdus Salam ICTP for providing financial support to our workshop in Trieste. Besides, the workshop directors thank the speakers and the attendees for their contributions which resulted in the success of our Trieste workshop 2004. Specifically, we appreciate the speakers for delivering excellent talks, supplying well prepared manuscripts for publication, and enhancing the plasma physics activity at the Abdus Salam ICTP.
