Space Physics: An Introduction

This textbook, derived from courses given by three leading researchers, provides advanced undergraduates and graduates with up-to-date coverage of space physics, from the Sun to the interstellar medium. Clear explanations of the underlying physical processes are presented alongside major new discoveries and knowledge gained from space missions, ground-based observations, theory, and modelling to inspire students. Building from the basics to more complex ideas, the book contains enough material for a two-semester course but the authors also provide suggestions for how the material can be tailored to fit a single semester. End-of-chapter problems reinforce concepts and include computer-based exercises specially developed for this textbook package. Free access to the software is available via the book's website and enables students to model the behavior of magnetospheric and solar plasma. An extensive glossary recaps new terms and carefully selected further reading sections encourage students to explore advanced topics of interest.

Table of Contents:
Preface; 1. Solar terrestrial physics: the evolution of a discipline; 2. The upper atmosphere and ionosphere; 3. Physics of magnetized plasmas; 4. The Sun and its atmosphere; 5. The solar wind and heliosphere; 6. Collisionless shocks; 7. Solar wind interaction with magnetized obstacles; 8. Plasma interactions with unmagnetized bodies; 9. Solar wind magnetosphere coupling; 10. The terrestrial magnetosphere; 11. The aurora; 12. Planetary magnetospheres; 13. Plasma waves; Appendix 1. Notation, vector identities, and differential operators; Appendix 2. Fundamental constants and plasma parameters of space physics; Appendix 3. Geophysical coordinate transformations; Appendix 4. Time series analysis techniques; Glossary; References; Index.

About the Author :
Christopher T. Russell has written over 1500 articles in books and journals on planetary and space physics and has been cited over 45,000 times. He has been awarded the AGU's Macelwane medal, its Fleming medal and COSPAR's Science award. He has been a principal investigator on numerous missions including ISEE 1 and 2, Pioneer Venus, the ISTP/Polar mission and the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. He is also the Principal Investigator of the ion-propelled Dawn Discovery mission to the asteroid belt. Janet G. Luhmann has authored or co-authored over 600 publications in areas of space and planetary physics and served as Senior Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research, Space Physics. She has been awarded AGU's Fleming medal and COSPAR's Science award. She has been an Investigator on numerous NASA and NSF projects involving the Sun's control of the space environments of the Earth and planets, most recently the STEREO mission to observe the 3D effects of solar activity in the inner solar system, and the MAVEN mission to study Mars atmosphere escape to space. Robert J. Strangeway is an author or co-author on over 200 publications covering a variety of space physics topics. He regularly teaches the Introduction to Space Physics course at the University of California, Los Angeles, which is the basis for this book. He is currently the Senior Editor for the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. In addition to serving as an Investigator with the missions AMPTE/CCE, Pioneer Venus and FAST he was the Principal Investigator for the magnetometers developed for Space Technology 5.

Review :
'[This book] provides a significant update of scientific material in the rapidly changing field of space plasma physics while maintaining a level appropriate for seniors and beginning graduate students. I look forward to using this text the next time I teach my course.' Mary Hudson, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire 'This is a very welcome update, which makes excellent use of recent advances in simulation techniques to illustrate concepts, and each chapter ends with a valuable set of problems, many of which are linked to online resources and applications. I have no doubt that this volume will rapidly become the standard recommended textbook for those teaching both basic and advanced courses in space plasmas.' Christopher Owen, University College London 'Space Physics boasts clear and thorough discussions of the physics and phenomenology of our space environment, illustrated by a wealth of diagrams and examples from spacecraft observations. It is an ideal launch pad for students new to space physics with web-based software complementing many of the problems at the end of each chapter, enabling students to explore interactively the physics of our space environment.' Gregory Howes, University of Iowa 'Providing a complete and in-depth coverage of space physics, this refreshing new contribution to teaching in space physics is well written, simple and clear. It's an excellent textbook for introductory courses and a valuable reference for any space physics researcher.' Hui Zhang, University of Alaska, Fairbanks 'As this is an update to an earlier text published in 1995, some chapters have been thoroughly revised while others replaced but the essence is still the same. The authors have designed it to include all the required material, enough for a two-semester graduate course. Each chapter comes with a set of carefully selected additional readings with reasons why they are of interest given; and problem sets, some of which are in the form of lab exercises that are entirely online. The book does not stop at solar-terrestrial problems; the effects of solar wind on other planets and planetary aurora are discussed as well. Apart from graduate students, other parties that will find it a good investment are new lecturers of advanced undergraduate plasma physics course looking to get their hands on a comprehensive text for their lectures or existing ones needing to update their repertoire.' B. Ishak, Contemporary Physics