B.V. Somov - Böcker

Solar flares are very complex electromagnetic phenomena of a cataclysmic nature. Particles are accelerated to very high velocities and a variety of physical processes happen inside and outside flares. These processes can be studied by a large number of techniques from Earth and from space. The aim is to discover the physics behind solar flares. This goal is complicated because information about the flare mechanism can be obtained only in an indirect way by studying the secondary effects. This book provides three stages in the solution of the solar flare problem. Chapter 1 describes the connection between observational data and theoretical concepts, where it is stressed that next to investigating flares, the related non-stationary large-scale phenomena must be studied as well. The second chapter deals with secondary physical processes, in particular the study of high-temperature plasma dynamics during impulsive heating. The last chapter presents a model built on the knowledge of the two previous chapters and it constructs a theory of non-neutral turbulent current sheets.

Cosmic electrodynamics is the specific branch of plasma physics which studies electromagnetic phenomena - mostly the role of electromagnetic forces in dynamics of highly-conducting compressible medium in the solar interior and atmosphere, solar wind, in the Earth's magnetosphere and magnetospheres of other planets as well as pulsars and other astrophysical objects. This textbook is written to be used at several different levels. It is aimed primarily at beginning graduate students who are assumed to have a knowledge of basic physics. Starting from the language of plasma physics, from Maxwell's equations, the author guides the reader into the more specialized concepts of cosmic electrodynamics. The main focus of the book is physics rather than maths. However, the clear mathematical image of physical processes in space plasma is presented in the surrounding text. The book also aims to be useful for professional astronomers and for specialists who investigate cosmic plasmas from space, as well as for everybody who is interested in modern astrophysics.

The consecutive consideration of physical principles, starting from the most general ones, and simplifying assumptions allows students interested in astronomy to find the answers to two key questions: (1) what approximation is the simplest, but still sufficient for the description of a phenomenon in cosmic plasmas, and (2) how to build an adequate model of this phenomenon. Astronomers of the future will need such tools. Astronomy of the future will become an increasingly more precise science, similar to physics or plasma physics. This is what the book aims to teach.

of the approximation at hand will be outlined from the viewpoint of physics rather than of many possible astronomical applications. After that, as an aid to detailed understanding, please return with pencil and paper to work out the missing steps (if any) in the formal mathematics. On the basis of such an approach the student interested in modern astro­ physics, its current practice, will find the answers to two key questions: (1) what approximation is the best one (the simplest but sufficient) for descrip­ tion of a phenomenon in cosmic plasma; (2) how tO,build an adequate model for the phenomenon, for example, a solar flare. Practice is really important for understanding the theory of cosmic plasma. Related exercises (problems and answers supplemented to each chapter) to improve skill do not thwart the theory but serve to better understanding of cosmic plasma physics. As for the applications, preference evidently is given to physical processes in the solar plasma. Why? - Much attention to solar plasma physics is con­ the possibility of th~ all-round observational test of theoretical ditioned by models. This statement primarily relates to the processes in the solar atmo­ sphere. For instance, flares on the Sun, in contrast to those on other stars as well as a lot of other analogous phenomena in the Universe, can be seen in their development, i. e.

Cosmic electrodynamics is the specific branch of plasma physics which studies electromagnetic phenomena -- mostly the role of electromagnetic forces in dynamics of highly-conducting compressible medium in the solar interior and atmosphere, solar wind, in the Earth's magnetosphere and magnetospheres of other planets as well as pulsars and other astrophysical objects. This textbook is written to be used at several different levels. It is aimed primarily at beginning graduate students who are assumed to have a knowledge of basic physics. Starting from the language of plasma physics, from Maxwell's equations, the author guides the reader into the more specialized concepts of cosmic electrodynamics. The main attention in the book is paid to physics rather than maths. However, the clear mathematical image of physical processes in space plasma is presented and spelled out in the surrounding text. There is not another way to work in modern astrophysics at the quantitative level. The book will also be useful for professional astronomers and for specialists, who investigate cosmic plasmas from space, as well as for everybody who is interested in modern astrophysics.