Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora

by Akasofu, Syun-Ichi

• ISBN13: 9781402006852
• ISBN10: 1402006853
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

Prominent progress in science is inevitably associated with controversies. Thus, young researchers, in particular, have to learn how to persevere during the period of controversy and struggle for acceptance. Unfortunately, the skills needed are not taught in textbooks or monographs, which mostly describe the consensus of contemporary experts. This book, which is based on my own experiences as a scientist, describes the history of the progress made in auroral science and magnetospheric physics by providing examples of ideas, controversies, struggles, acceptance, and success in some instances. Although no general methodology (if any exists) is mentioned, I hope that the reader will learn about the history of progress in auroral science and examples (right or wrong) of dealing with the controversies.

Table of Contents

Source of Figures	vii
Preface	xvi
Prologue	xix
Search For The Unknown Quantity In The Solar Wind	1	(40)
Solar Corpuscular Streams	1	(5)
The Chapman-Ferraro Theory	6	(5)
The Solar Wind	11	(1)
Interplanetary Shock Waves	12	(1)
The Modern Interpretation of the Chapman-Ferraro Theory	13	(1)
The Main Phase of Geomagnetic Storms and the Ring Current	13	(4)
Variety of the Development of Geomagnetic Storms	17	(4)
Unknown Quantity	21	(3)
The ε Parameter	24	(11)
The Directly Driven and Unloading Components	35	(1)
The Open Magnetosphere	36	(5)
Confronting Paradigms: Aurora Research During The Early Space Age	41	(48)
My Earliest Association with the Aurora	41	(1)
The Auroral Zone to the Auroral Oval	42	(9)
Significance of the Auroral Oval	51	(3)
Auroral Substorms: Fixed Pattern to Substorm Pattern	54	(14)
Auroral Storms	68	(2)
Auroral Rays	70	(1)
Thickness of an Auroral Curtain	70	(3)
Auroral Kilometric Radiation	73	(1)
Auroral Observation at the South Pole	74	(1)
Auroral Spectra as Tools for Detecting Extraterrestrial Life	74	(2)
Emperor Showa and the Aurora	76	(1)
An Exciting New Development	77	(12)
Realizing The Dream Of Our Pioneers: Polar Magnetic Substorms And The Associated Current System	89	(44)
The Three-Dimensional Current System	90	(7)
The Uniqueness Problem	90	(1)
Chapman's Equivalent Current System	90	(4)
Birkeland-Alfven Model	94	(3)
Alaska Meridian Chain of Magnetic Observatories	97	(2)
The IMS Meridian Chains of Observatories	99	(1)
Bostrom's Current Loops	100	(9)
Nikolsky's Spiral	109	(3)
Substorm Onset	112	(3)
Changes of Magnetic Energy in the Magnetotail	115	(4)
Storm-Substorm Relationship	119	(1)
Geomagnetic Indices	120	(1)
Publication of Solar-Terrestrial Physics from Oxford University Press	121	(3)
Summary of Chapters 1, 2, and 3	124	(9)
Is The Earth's Dipole Really Off-Centered And Inclined?: Planetary Magnetic Fields	133	(16)
Introduction	133	(1)
Rotation of the Solar Magnetic Dipolar Field on the Source Surface	134	(5)
Large Inclination and Eccentricity of the Dipole-like Field of Uranus and Neptune	139	(3)
Is the Earth's Dipole Actually Inclined with Respect to the Rotation Axis?	142	(1)
Does the Main Dipole of the Geomagnetic Field Rotate during the Reversals?	143	(2)
Heliospheric Current Sheet	145	(4)
Myth Of The Emerging Flux Tubes: Sunspots And Solar Flares	149	(16)
Introduction	149	(1)
Emerging Magnetic Flux Tubes	150	(3)
Energy Source	153	(3)
Sunspots	156	(2)
Force-free Fields and Solar Flares	158	(4)
Magnetic Reconnection	162	(3)
Synthesis Of The Four Major Disciplines: Predicting Geomagnetic Storms As A Space Weather Project	165	(32)
Introduction	165	(1)
Modeling the Background Solar Wind Flow	166	(4)
Parameterizing Solar Events	170	(1)
Modeling the Propagation of Shock Waves	171	(2)
Detecting Shock Waves by IPS	173	(4)
Estimating the Velocity, Density, and IMF at the Earth	177	(1)
Characterizing Geomagnetic Storms	177	(2)
Predicting Ionospheric Effects	179	(1)
Effects on Power Transmission Lines and Oil/Gas Pipelines	180	(1)
Missing Links	181	(4)
High-speed Streams from Coronal Holes	185	(1)
A New Example	186	(6)
Summary	192	(5)
Beyond The Inner Heliosphere: The Magnetic Field Structure Of The Outer Heliosphere: A Three-Dimensional Model	197	(7)
Epilogue	204	(9)
Further Readings: Mostly Historical	213	(4)
Name Index	217	(6)
Index	223	(4)
A Scenario on Substorm Onset (Note added on March 1, 2002)	227