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 one describes the...

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...

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...

This well-illustrated monograph is devoted to classic fundamentals, current practice, and perspectives of modern plasma astrophysics. The level of the book is designed mainly for professional researchers in astrophysics. The book will also be interesting and useful to graduate students in space sciences, geophysics, as well as to advanced students in applied physics and mathematics seeking a unified view of plasma physics and fluid mechanics.

Magnetic ?elds are easily generated in astrophysical plasma owing to its ?6 high conductivity. Magnetic ?elds, having strengths of order few 10 G, correlated on several kiloparsec scales are seen in spiral galaxies. Their origin could be due to ampli?cation of a small seed ?eld by a turbulent galactic dynamo. In several galaxies, like the famous M51, magnetic ?elds are well correlated (or anti-correlated) with the optical spiral arms. These are the weakest large-scale ?elds observed in cosmic space. The strongest magnets in space are presumably the so-called magnetars, the highly mag- 15...

Fully updated and revised, this second edition of the classic text on plasma astrophysics covers all the fundamentals and includes new sections on subjects such as plasma heating by reverse current, the moment equations, and the Grad-Shafranov equation.

This two-part book is devoted to classic fundamentals and current practices and perspectives of modern plasma astrophysics. This second part discusses the physics of magnetic reconnection and flares of electromagnetic origin in space plasmas in the solar system, single and double stars, relativistic objects, accretion disks and their coronae. More than 25% of the text is updated from the first edition, included the additions of new figures, equations and entire sections on topics such as topological triggers for solar flares and the magnetospheric physics problem.

This book is aimed at...