Stein Haaland - Böcker

Dawn­Dusk Asymmetries in Planetary Plasma EnvironmentsDawn-dusk asymmetries are ubiquitous features of the plasma environment of many of the planets in our solar system. They occur when a particular process or feature is more pronounced at one side of a planet than the other. For example, recent observations indicate that Earth's magnetopause is thicker at dawn than at dusk. Likewise, auroral breakups at Earth are more likely to occur in the pre-midnight than post-midnight sectors. Increasing availability of remotely sensed and in situ measurements of planetary ionospheres, magnetospheres and their interfaces to the solar wind have revealed significant and persistent dawn-dusk asymmetries. As yet there is no consensus regarding the source of many of these asymmetries, nor the physical mechanisms by which they are produced and maintained.Volume highlights include: A comprehensive and updated overview of current knowledge about dawn-dusk asymmetries in the plasma environments of planets in our solar system and the mechanisms behind themValuable contributions from internationally recognized experts, covering both observations, simulations and theories discussing all important aspects of dawn-dusk asymmetriesSpace weather effects are caused by processes in space, mainly the magnetotail, and can be highly localized on ground. Knowing where the source, i.e., where dawn-dusk location is will allow for a better prediction of where the effects on ground will be most pronouncedCovering both observational and theoretical aspects of dawn dusk asymmetries, Dawn­-Dusk Asymmetries in Planetary Plasma Environments will be a valuable resource for academic researchers in space physics, planetary science, astrophysics, physics, geophysics and earth science.

The present 15th volume of the ISSI Space Science Series is devoted to Auroral Plasma Physics. The aurora is arguably the most intriguing phenomenon in space plasma physics. Not only is it the most spectacular manifestation of the Sun-Earth connection chain, but the underlying plasma processes are expected to be ubiqui- tous in the plasma universe. Recognizing the enormous progress made over the last decade in the understanding of the physics of the auroral acceleration processes, it seemed timely to write a comprehensive and integrated book on the subject. Re- cent advances concern the clarification of the nature of the acceleration process of the electrons that are responsible for the visible aurora, the recognition of the fundamental role of the large-scale current systems in organizing the auroral mor- phology, and of the interplay between particles and electromagnetic fields. The project began in March 1999, as a natural follow-up of the project on Magnetospheric Plasma Sources and Losses that resulted in volume 6 of this se- ries, with a planning meeting by a core-group that coordinated the project. The group consisted of J. E. Borovsky, Los Alamos National Laboratory; C. W.Carl- son, University of California, Berkeley; G. Haerendel, Max-Planck-Institut fur ex- traterrestrische Physik, Garching; B. Hultqvist, Swedish Intitute ofSpace Physics, H. E. J. Koskinen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki; W. Lotko, Kiruna; Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire; K. A. Lynch, University of New Hampshire, Durham and G. Marklund, Royal Institute ofTechnology, Stockholm. G. Paschmann, ISSI, Bern, was the project leader.