Solar System 1

Thérèse Encrenaz is an astronomer emeritus at CNRS and the Paris Observatory, France, specializing in planetary atmospheres. She has directed the Observatory’s Space Research Department. James Lequeux is an honorary astronomer at the Paris Observatory, France. He has directed the Nançay Radio Observatory and the Marseille Observatory; he was also editor-in-chief of the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.

• Preface xiThérèse Encrenaz and James LequeuxChapter 1 General Presentation of the Solar System 1Thérèse Encrenaz, Françoise Roques and Laurent Lamy1.1 Introduction 11.2 Mechanics and dynamics of the Solar System 61.2.1 Newton’s law of gravitation 71.2.2 Kepler’s laws r 71.2.3 Mean motion resonances 91.2.4 The N-body problem 101.2.5 The role of collisions 121.2.6 Migrations in the Solar System 131.2.7 The role of gravity in a solid body 151.2.8 Special configurations of the Sun–Earth–Moon system 171.3 Physics of the Solar System 181.3.1 Equilibrium temperature of an object in the Solar System 191.3.2 Planets 221.3.3 Satellites 291.3.4 Small bodies of the Solar System 321.3.5 The interplanetary medium 371.4 References 42Chapter 2 Solar and Planetary Systems 45James Lequeux2.1 The Sun in the Galaxy 452.2 Planetary systems in the Galaxy 472.3 Interstellar matter 492.3.1 History 492.3.2 Chemical composition 502.3.3 Physical properties 522.4 The formation of stars with masses close to that of the Sun 552.5 Circumstellar disks 632.6 Formation of planetesimals and planetoids 672.7 The environment of the Solar System at its birth 702.8 Detection and properties of exoplanets and their systems 712.8.1 First attempts 712.8.2 The unexpected discovery of planets around a pulsar 732.8.3 Exoplanet detection methods 742.8.4 Some statistical results 822.8.5 The diversity of exoplanets 832.8.6 Exoplanet atmospheres 882.8.7 Habitable planets 912.8.8 Some extrasolar planetary systems 942.9 References 95Chapter 3 The Interaction of Solar System Bodies with the Interplanetary Medium 99Laurent Lamy3.1 Interplanetary plasma: origin and properties of the solar wind 1003.1.1 Coronal expansion 1003.1.2 The structure of the heliosphere in the ecliptic plane 1033.1.3 The three-dimensional structure of the heliosphere 1073.1.4 Transient structures of the solar wind 1093.1.5 The boundaries of the heliosphere 1123.2 Planetary envelopes 1163.2.1 Upper planetary atmospheres 1163.2.2 Planetary magnetic fields 1243.3 The solar wind’s interaction with objects of the Solar System 1263.3.1 The different types of interaction 1263.3.2 The case of non-magnetized gaseous envelopes 1293.3.3 The case of magnetized planets 1353.3.4 Planetary auroral processes 1533.4 Acknowledgements 1633.5 References 163Chapter 4 Telluric Planets 167Thérèse Encrenaz, Marcello Fulchignoni and Laurent Lamy4.1 The exploration of the telluric planets 1674.1.1 From antiquity to the space age 1674.1.2 The beginning of the space age 1684.1.3 The return to Mars 1694.1.4 The return to Venus 1714.1.5 Observations from the ground 1724.1.6 The exploration of planet Earth 1744.1.7 Global Climatic Models 1754.1.8 The electromagnetic spectrum of telluric planets 1754.2 Objects without an atmosphere: Mercury, the Moon 1774.2.1 Orbital parameters and macroscopic characteristics 1794.2.2 Exospheres 1804.2.3 Internal structure 1814.2.4 The surfaces of Mercury and the Moon 1854.2.5 The origin of Mercury and the Moon 1944.2.6 Mercury’s magnetosphere 1974.3 Objects with an atmosphere (Venus, Earth, Mars) 2004.3.1 The interior and the magnetic field 2014.3.2 The surface 2084.3.3 The atmosphere 2174.3.4 The satellites of Mars 2414.4 References 242Chapter 5 Giant Planets 245Thérèse Encrenaz and Laurent Lamy5.1 The exploration of giant planets 2455.1.1 From Antiquity to the Space Age 2455.1.2 Space exploration 2465.1.3 Exploration from Earth and the terrestrial environment 2515.1.4 The electromagnetic spectrum of giant planets 2535.2 The atmosphere of giant planets 2565.2.1 Atmospheric composition 2565.2.2 Elemental and isotopic abundance ratios 2575.2.3 Thermal structure 2645.2.4 Atmospheric circulation and cloud structure 2665.2.5 High atmosphere and photochemistry 2695.3 The internal structure of giant planets 2715.3.1 Experimental data 2715.3.2 The construction of internal energy models 2745.3.3 The results 2765.4 The magnetospheres of the giant planets 2795.4.1 Jupiter’s giant magnetosphere 2795.4.2 Saturn’s symmetrical magnetosphere 2955.4.3 The asymmetric magnetospheres of Uranus and Neptune 3025.5 References 304Appendix Web links 309Glossary 311List of Authors 323Index 325