Jean Lilensten - Böcker

Our planet exists within a space environment affected by constantly changing solar atmosphere producing cosmic particles and electromagnetic waves. This "space weather" profoundly influences the performance of our technology because we primarily use two means for transmitting information and energy; namely, electromagnetic waves and electricity. On an everyday basis, we have developed methods to cope with the normal conditions. However, the sun remains a fiery star whose 'angry' outbursts can potentially destroy spacecrafts, kill astronauts, melt electricity transformers, stop trains, and generally wreak havoc with human activities. Space Weather is the developing field within astronomy that aims at predicting the sun’s violent activity and minimizing the impacts on our daily lives. Space Weather, Environment, and Societies explains why our technological societies are so dependent on solar activity and how the Sun disturbs the transmission of information and energy. Footnotes expand specific points and the appendices facilitate a more thorough command of the physics involved.

1 2 J. LILENSTEN , A. GLOVER , A. HILGERS, A. BELEHAKI, Lj. R. CANDER, B. ZOLESI, M. RYCROFT, AND F. LEFEUVRE 1 Chair of ESWW2, editor 2 co-Chair of ESWW2 This book presents Space Weather review papers given as invited presentations at the Second European Space Weather week which was held at the European Space Agency’s ESTEC site in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, from 14th to 19th November, 2005. As the meeting itself, it is divided into 5 chapters, each representing one of the “Science to Applications” sessions on a particular theme. These themes are: • Session 1 : The solar weather/solar activity forecast and predictions (including propagation of transient features in the solar wind) • Session 2 : Atmospheres (weather and climate, also including thermosphere and drag), global change • Session 3 : Ionosphere/positioning and telecommunication • Session 4 : Radiation environment of the Earth/spacecraft and aircraft environment • Session 5 : Magnetic environment/GIC’s and other ground effects Each chapter is divided into an introduction written by the convener of the corresponding session, and the papers written by the invited speakers. Many of the poster contributions, including applications focussed papers, have been published elsewhere and the presentation material can be found via the ESWW2 website: http://www. esa-spaceweather. net/spweather/workshops/eswwII/ esww2-proceedings. html. The ESWW2 was the second in a series of annual workshops that are the result of much patient work that started about ten years ago involving many European entities.

1 2 J. LILENSTEN , A. GLOVER , A. HILGERS, A. BELEHAKI, Lj. R. CANDER, B. ZOLESI, M. RYCROFT, AND F. LEFEUVRE 1 Chair of ESWW2, editor 2 co-Chair of ESWW2 This book presents Space Weather review papers given as invited presentations at the Second European Space Weather week which was held at the European Space Agency’s ESTEC site in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, from 14th to 19th November, 2005. As the meeting itself, it is divided into 5 chapters, each representing one of the “Science to Applications” sessions on a particular theme. These themes are: • Session 1 : The solar weather/solar activity forecast and predictions (including propagation of transient features in the solar wind) • Session 2 : Atmospheres (weather and climate, also including thermosphere and drag), global change • Session 3 : Ionosphere/positioning and telecommunication • Session 4 : Radiation environment of the Earth/spacecraft and aircraft environment • Session 5 : Magnetic environment/GIC’s and other ground effects Each chapter is divided into an introduction written by the convener of the corresponding session, and the papers written by the invited speakers. Many of the poster contributions, including applications focussed papers, have been published elsewhere and the presentation material can be found via the ESWW2 website: http://www. esa-spaceweather. net/spweather/workshops/eswwII/ esww2-proceedings. html. The ESWW2 was the second in a series of annual workshops that are the result of much patient work that started about ten years ago involving many European entities.