Heliophysics: Plasma Physics of the Local Cosmos

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

• ISBN13: 9780521110617
• ISBN10: 0521110610
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-08-31
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Heliophysics is a developing scientific discipline integrating studies of the Sun's variability, the surrounding heliosphere, and climatic environments. 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 first in a series of three heliophysics texts, integrates such diverse topics for the first time as a coherent intellectual discipline. It emphasizes the physical processes coupling the Sun and Earth, allowing insights into the interaction of the solar wind and radiation with the Earth's magnetic field, atmosphere and climate system. It provides a core resource for advanced undergraduates and graduates, and also constitutes a foundational reference for researchers in heliophysics, astrophysics, plasma physics, space physics, solar physics, aeronomy, space weather, planetary science and climate science. Additional online resources, including lecture presentations and other teaching materials, are accessible at www.cambridge.org/9780521110617.

Table of Contents

Preface

Prologue Carolus

Introduction to heliophysics

Creation and destruction of magnetic field

Magnetic field topology

Magnetic reconnection

Structures of the magnetic field Mark

Turbulence in space plasmas

The solar atmosphere

Stellar winds and magnetic fields

Fundamentals of planetary magnetospheres

Solar-wind magnetosphere coupling: an MHD perspective

On the ionosphere and chromosphere

Comparative planetary environments

Bibliography

Index

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