Introduction to Space Physics

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.

'... the editors and contributors are to be congratulated on a job well done and on having contributed significantly to teaching in our field.' S. W. H. Cowley, Observatory "...contains a wealth of information in well-summarized fashion...should be considered a valuable reference text for those who would rather hear from the experts than from a single voice." Elmar R. Reiter, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics "...Introduction to Space Physics is strong enough to form the backbone for an introductory graduate class....Because of its broad coverage, it will be an excellent addition to the library of any space physicist who occaisonally needs reminding of the issues and advances in other specialities." Michael E. Brown, Physics Today