Heliophysics: Evolving Solar Activity and the Climates of Space and Earth

by Edited by Carolus J. Schrijver , George L. Siscoe

• ISBN13: 9780521130202
• ISBN10: 0521130204
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-01-12
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Heliophysics is a fast-developing scientific discipline that integrates studies of the Sun's variability, the surrounding heliosphere, and the environment and climate of planets. Over the past few centuries, our understanding of how the Sun drives space weather and climate on the Earth and other planets has advanced at an ever increasing rate. This volume, the last in a series of three heliophysics texts, focuses on long-term variability from the Sun's decade-long sunspot cycle and considers the evolution of the planetary system over ten billion years from a climatological perspective. Topics covered range from the dynamo action of stars and planets to processes in the Earth's troposphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere and their effects on planetary climate and habitability. Supplemented by online teaching materials, it can be used as a textbook for courses or as a foundational reference for researchers in fields from astrophysics and plasma physics to planetary and climate science.

Table of Contents

Preface

Interconnectedness in heliophysics

Long-term evolution of magnetic activity of Sun-like stars

Formation and early evolution of stars and proto-planetary disks

Planetary habitability on astronomical time scales

Solar internal flows and dynamo action

Modeling solar and stellar dynamos

Planetary fields and dynamos

The structure and evolution of the 3D solar wind

The heliosphere and cosmic rays

Solar spectral irradiance: measurements and models

Astrophysical influences on planetary climate systems

Evaluating the drivers of Earth's climate system

Ionospheres of the terrestrial planets

Long-term evolution of the geospace climate

Waves and transport processes in atmospheres and oceans

Solar variability, climate, and atmospheric photochemistry

Authors and editors

List of illustrations

List of tables

Bibliography

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.