Low-Frequency Waves in Space Plasmas


Book Description

Low-frequency waves in space plasmas have been studied for several decades, and our knowledge gain has been incremental with several paradigm-changing leaps forward. In our solar system, such waves occur in the ionospheres and magnetospheres of planets, and around our Moon. They occur in the solar wind, and more recently, they have been confirmed in the Sun’s atmosphere as well. The goal of wave research is to understand their generation, their propagation, and their interaction with the surrounding plasma. Low-frequency Waves in Space Plasmas presents a concise and authoritative up-to-date look on where wave research stands: What have we learned in the last decade? What are unanswered questions? While in the past waves in different astrophysical plasmas have been largely treated in separate books, the unique feature of this monograph is that it covers waves in many plasma regions, including: Waves in geospace, including ionosphere and magnetosphere Waves in planetary magnetospheres Waves at the Moon Waves in the solar wind Waves in the solar atmosphere Because of the breadth of topics covered, this volume should appeal to a broad community of space scientists and students, and it should also be of interest to astronomers/astrophysicists who are studying space plasmas beyond our Solar System.




Low Frequency Waves and Turbulence in Magnetized Laboratory Plasmas and in the Ionosphere


Book Description

"Low Frequency Waves and Turbulence in Magnetized Laboratory Plasmas and in the Ionosphere was developed from courses taught by the author at the universities of Oslo and Tromso in Norway. Suitable for undergraduates, graduate students and researchers, the first part of the book is devoted to discussing some relevant plasma instabilities and the free energy that drives them. In the second part, the more advanced topics of nonlinear models and the interactions of many modes are discussed. Theoretical tools available for turbulence modelling are also outlined. The book summarizes a number of studies of low-frequency plasma waves, drift waves in particular, from laboratory and space experiments."--Prové de l'editor.




Geospace Electromagnetic Waves and Radiation


Book Description

The contributions gathered in this volume provide introductions to current problems in geospace electromagnetic radiation, guides to the associated literature and tutorial reviews of the relevant space physics. Students and scientists working on various aspects of the terrestrial aurora or magnetospheric and near-Earth heliospheric high-frequency waves will find this volume an indispensable companion for their studies.




The Physics of Alfvén Waves


Book Description

Low-frequency wave modes of magnetized inhomogeneous plasmas have been subject to intense study in the last decade because they play important roles in the transport of energy in the plasmas. The "Alfvén wave heating" scheme has been investigated as a supplementary heating scheme for fusion plasma devices, and it has been invoked as a model of the heating of the solar and stellar coronae. This book covers the latest research into the properties and applications of low-frequency wave modes in magnetized plasmas, the Alfvén waves and magneto-acoustic waves, in the context of laboratory, space and astrophysical plasmas. In particular, non-ideal effects on the dispersion relation and absorption properties of linear and non-linear waves are included, such as ion-cyclotron effects, friction between the ionized plasma and a background gas of neutral atoms, and the interaction of the plasma with dust particles. The book also surveys the theory of Alfvén and magnetoacoustic waves in inhomogeneous plasmas, as occur in realistic laboratory, space and astrophysical plasmas, with resulting localized wave modes such as surface waves. Waves are considered under a variety of plasma conditions, ranging from cold cosmic plasmas, to hot laboratory and solar plasmas, to the relativistic plasmas around pulsars.




An Introduction to Alfven Waves,


Book Description

This valuable introduction to the physics of Alfven waves in laboratory and space plasmas is accessible to anyone with a elementary knowledge of plasma physics. The book will give graduate students all the background information necessary to understand the research literature. Much of the material is recent and may contain some surprises even for experts.




An Introduction to the Atomic and Radiation Physics of Plasmas


Book Description

Plasmas comprise more than 99% of the observable universe. They are important in many technologies and are key potential sources for fusion power. Atomic and radiation physics is critical for the diagnosis, observation and simulation of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas, and plasma physicists working in a range of areas from astrophysics, magnetic fusion, and inertial fusion utilise atomic and radiation physics to interpret measurements. This text develops the physics of emission, absorption and interaction of light in astrophysics and in laboratory plasmas from first principles using the physics of various fields of study including quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and statistical physics. Linking undergraduate level atomic and radiation physics with the advanced material required for postgraduate study and research, this text adopts a highly pedagogical approach and includes numerous exercises within each chapter for students to reinforce their understanding of the key concepts.




The Alfvén Wave


Book Description




Characterizing Space Plasmas


Book Description

This didactic book uses a data-driven approach to connect measurements made by plasma instruments to the real world. This approach makes full use of the instruments’ capability and examines the data at the most detailed level an experiment can provide. Students using this approach will learn what instruments can measure, and working with real-world data will pave their way to models consistent with these observations. While conceived as a teaching tool, the book contains a considerable amount of new information. It emphasizes recent results, such as particle measurements made from the Cluster ion experiment, explores the consequences of new discoveries, and evaluates new trends or techniques in the field. At the same time, the author ensures that the physical concepts used to interpret the data are general and widely applicable. The topics included help readers understand basic problems fundamental to space plasma physics. Some are appearing for the first time in a space physics textbook. Others present different perspectives and interpretations of old problems and models that were previously considered incontestable. This book is essential reading for graduate students in space plasma physics, and a useful reference for the broader astrophysics community.




Measurement Techniques in Space Plasmas


Book Description

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 102. Space plasma measurements are conducted in a hostile, remote environment. The art and science of measurements gathered in space depend therefore on unique instrument designs and fabrication methods to an extent perhaps unprecedented in experimental physics. In-situ measurement of space plasmas constitutes an expensive, unforgiving, and highly visible form of scientific endeavor.




Introduction to Space Physics


Book Description

All aspects of space plasmas in the Solar System are introduced and explored in this text for senior undergraduate and graduate students. Introduction to Space Physics provides a broad, yet selective, treatment of the complex interactions of the ionized gases of the solar terrestrial environment. The book includes extensive discussion of the Sun and solar wind, the magnetized and unmagnetized planets, and the fundamental processes of space plasmas including shocks, plasma waves, ULF waves, wave particle interactions, and auroral processes. The text devotes particular attention to space plasma observations and integrates these with phenomenological and theoretical interpretations. Highly coordinated chapters, written by experts in their fields, combine to provide a comprehensive introduction to space physics. Based on an advanced undergraduate and graduate course presented in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, the text will be valuable to both students and professionals in the field.