This is the first book to give a comprehensive overview of recent observational and theoretical results on solar wind structures and fluctuations and magnetohydrodynamic waves and turbulence, preference being given to phenomena in the inner heliosphere. Emphasis is placed on the progress made in the past decade in the understanding of the nature and origin of especially small-scale, compressible and incompressible fluctuations. Turbulence models describing the spatial transport and spectral transfer of the fluctuations in the inner heliosphere are discussed. Intermittency of solar wind fluctuations and their statistical distributions are investigated. Studies of the heating and acceleration effects of the turbulence on the background wind are critically surveyed. Finally, open questions concerning the origin, nature and evolution of the fluctuations are listed, and perspectives for future research are outlined. The book is for graduate students and researchers in the field. Other target groups are scientists and professionals interested in space plasma physics and/or MHD turbulence.

This book provides an overview of solar wind turbulence from both the theoretical and observational perspective. It argues that the interplanetary medium offers the best opportunity to directly study turbulent fluctuations in collisionless plasmas. In fact, during expansion, the solar wind evolves towards a state characterized by large-amplitude fluctuations in all observed parameters, which resembles, at least at large scales, the well-known hydrodynamic turbulence. This text starts with historical references to past observations and experiments on turbulent flows. It then introduces the Navier-Stokes equations for a magnetized plasma whose low-frequency turbulence evolution is described within the framework of the MHD approximation. It also considers the scaling of plasma and magnetic field fluctuations and the study of nonlinear energy cascades within the same framework. It reports observations of turbulence in the ecliptic and at high latitude, treating Alfvénic and compressive fluctuations separately in order to explain the transport of mass, momentum and energy during the expansion. Further, existing models are compared with direct observations in the heliosphere. The problem of self-similar and anomalous fluctuations in the solar wind is then addressed using tools provided by dynamical system theory and discussed on the basis of available models and observations. The book highlights observations of Yaglom’s law in solar wind turbulence, which is one of the most important findings in fully developed turbulence and directly related to the long-lasting and still unsolved problem of solar wind plasma heating. Lastly, it includes a short chapter dedicated to the kinetic range of fluctuations, which has recently been receiving more attention from the space plasma community, since this is inherently related to turbulent energy dissipation and consequent plasma heating. It particularly focuses on the nature and role of the fluctuations populating this frequency range, and discusses several model predictions and recent observational findings in this context.

Physics of the Inner Heliosphere gives for the first time a comprehensive and complete summary of our knowledge of the inner solar system. Using data collected over more than 11 years by the HELIOS twin solar probes, one of the most successful ventures in unmanned space exploration, the authors have compiled six extensive reviews of the physical processes of the inner heliosphere and their relation to the solar atmosphere. Researchers and advanced students in space and plasma physics, astronomy, and solar physics will be surprised to see just how closely the heliosphere is tied to, and how sensitively it depends on, the sun. Volume 2 deals with particles, waves, and turbulence, with chapters on: - magnetic clouds - interplanetary clouds - the solar wind plasma and MHD turbulence - waves and instabilities - energetic particles in the inner solar system

This advanced textbook reviews the complex interaction between the Sun's plasma atmosphere and its magnetic field.

Informal discussions in 1977 among a number of scientists asso ciated with solar and interplanetary physics revealed a need for a dialogue between the two often-divergent groups. It was clear that the latter group was dependent essentially on the sun for its raison d'etre. On the other hand it was also clear that the former group could benefit in its search for insight vis-a-vis solar activity by looking beyond the shell of the inner corona. Needless to add that the combined solar/interplanetary topic is relevant to astrophysics when one considers stellar winds and binary star flows. It was felt, there fore, that a symposium was essential to bring together, for the first time, leading solar and interplanetary physicists from the interna tional community to discuss and record herein their own research. The fundamental physical processes underlying our own capricious star's activity can be understood only by the coupling of solar and interplan etary topics in an intimate observational and theoretical structure. This book, intended for active research scientists and advanced grad uate students, is an important step in this direction. The background of solar and interplanetary dynamics is provided in Part I (The Life History of Coronal Structures and Fields) and Part II (Coronal and Interplanetary Responses to Long Time Scale Phenomena).

Dynamics of astrophysical systems is often described by plasma physics, yet understanding the nature of plasma turbulence remains as a challenge in physics in both theories and experiments. This book is an up-to-date summary and review of recent results in research on waves and turbulence in near-Earth space plasma turbulence, obtained by Cluster, the multi-spacecraft mission. Spatial and temporal structures of solar wind turbulence as well as its interaction with the bow shock ahead of the Earth are presented using Cluster data. The book presents (1) historical developments, (2) theoretical background of plasma physics, turbulence theories, and the plasma physical picture of the solar system, (3) analysis methods for multi-spacecraft data, (4) results of Cluster data analysis, and (5) impacts on astrophysics and Earth sciences.

This book presents an introduction to, and modern account of, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, an active field both in general turbulence theory and in various areas of astrophysics. The book starts by introducing the MHD equations, certain useful approximations and the transition to turbulence. The second part of the book covers incompressible MHD turbulence, the macroscopic aspects connected with the different self-organization processes, the phenomenology of the turbulence spectra, two-point closure theory, and intermittency. The third considers two-dimensional turbulence and compressible (in particular, supersonic) turbulence. Because of the similarities in the theoretical approach, these chapters start with a brief account of the corresponding methods developed in hydrodynamic turbulence. The final part of the book is devoted to astrophysical applications: turbulence in the solar wind, in accretion disks, and in the interstellar medium. This book is suitable for graduate students and researchers working in turbulence theory, plasma physics and astrophysics.

Full text e-book available as part of the Elsevier ScienceDirect Earth and Planetary Sciences subject collection.

An overview of current knowledge and future research directions in magnetospheric physics In the six decades since the term 'magnetosphere' was first introduced, much has been theorized and discovered about the magnetized space surrounding each of the bodies in our solar system. Each magnetosphere is unique yet behaves according to universal physical processes. Magnetospheres in the Solar System brings together contributions from experimentalists, theoreticians, and numerical modelers to present an overview of diverse magnetospheres, from the mini-magnetospheres of Mercury to the giant planetary magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn. Volume highlights include: Concise history of magnetospheres, basic principles, and equations Overview of the fundamental processes that govern magnetospheric physics Tools and techniques used to investigate magnetospheric processes Special focus on Earth’s magnetosphere and its dynamics Coverage of planetary magnetic fields and magnetospheres throughout the solar system Identification of future research directions in magnetospheric physics The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals. Find out more about the Space Physics and Aeronomy collection in this Q&A with the Editors in Chief