Spring 2027

Introduction to Plasmas

Covers basic plasma physics including collective phenomena, fluid models, waves, and kinetic theory, with examples from fusion, astrophysics, and materials processing.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Jan Egedal

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Oliver Schmitz

The reviewer rated the course difficulty as 4 out of 5, noting that the instructor spent at least double the usual time preparing lectures for the online format.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Define the fundamental properties of a plasma and analyze single-particle dynamics.

  • Formulate and distinguish between fluid models (e.g., two-fluid, Magnetohydrodynamics - MHD) to describe collective plasma behavior.

  • Analyze plasma waves, equilibria, and instabilities using fluid models.

  • Apply the kinetic equation for a plasma and explain its relationship to the hierarchy of fluid models.

  • Select an appropriate physical model to analyze and solve problems in plasma applications.

Source: UW Guide 1 UW Guide 2 UW Guide 3

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

(E C E 320 or PHYSICS 322), graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students

  • take one
ECE/NE/PHYSICS 525 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Any of

Professors

Spring 2027

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2015: 3.00 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Spring 2018: 3.67 GPA, 88.9% A/AB (n=9 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.85 GPA, 90.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

JAN EGEDAL is recorded teaching in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

OLIVER SCHMITZ is recorded teaching in Spring 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 400
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 400
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 400

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Oliver Schmitz

A past student described Oliver Schmitz as a professor who prioritized learning over grades and invested extra time preparing online lectures during the pandemic.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.85 GPA, 90.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.67 GPA, 81.0% A/AB (n=21 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.54 GPA, 76.9% A/AB (n=13 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Oliver Schmitz

The reviewer rated the course difficulty as 4 out of 5, noting that the instructor spent at least double the usual time preparing lectures for the online format.

Past student reviews · Oliver Schmitz

The student found the instructor super helpful, noting he went out of his way to assist them and truly cared about their understanding of the material.

Topics

  • Collective phenomena, sheaths, and single particle motions
  • Fluid models, equilibria, waves, and instabilities
  • Kinetic theory and nonlinear processes
  • Applications in fusion, astrophysics, and materials processing

Skills

  • Analyze single-particle plasma dynamics
  • Formulate fluid models such as MHD
  • Select physical models for plasma applications

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
ECE/NE/PHYSICS 525 · Spring 2027

Introduction to Plasmas

Recorded 2026-10-14
ECE/NE/PHYSICS 525 · Spring 2027

Introduction to Plasmas

Recorded 2026-10-14
ECE/NE/PHYSICS 525 · Spring 2027

Introduction to Plasmas

Recorded 2026-10-14
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Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
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