Plasma Loops In The Solar Corona

A comprehensive account of the properties of plasma loops, the fundamental structural elements of the solar corona. Plasma loops cover a wide range of sizes and range in temperature from tens of thousands to millions of degrees. They not only define the structure of individual active regions but connect different active regions--even across the solar equator. Loops also play an integral and decisive role in the enormous solar explosions called flares. Over recent years a wealth of space and ground-based observations of loops has been obtained in various widely-spaced regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this book the authors have selected the best observational material from the literature on which to base a detailed account of the properties of flare and non-flare loops. The book also explores the larger implications of the loop structures for our understanding of solar and stellar coronae. The text is enhanced by a large number of illustrations and unique and beautiful photographs obtained from the ground and from space.

A comprehensive account of the properties of plasma loops, the fundamental structural elements of the solar corona. Plasma loops cover a wide range of sizes and range in temperature from tens of thousands to millions of degrees. They not only define the structure of individual active regions but connect different active regions--even across the solar equator. Loops also play an integral and decisive role in the enormous solar explosions called flares. Over recent years a wealth of space and ground-based observations of loops has been obtained in various widely-spaced regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this book the authors have selected the best observational material from the literature on which to base a detailed account of the properties of flare and non-flare loops. The book also explores the larger implications of the loop structures for our understanding of solar and stellar coronae. The text is enhanced by a large number of illustrations and unique and beautiful photographs obtained from the ground and from space.

A thorough introduction to solar physics based on recent spacecraft observations. The author introduces the solar corona and sets it in the context of basic plasma physics before moving on to discuss plasma instabilities and plasma heating processes. The latest results on coronal heating and radiation are presented. Spectacular phenomena such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections are described in detail, together with their potential effects on the Earth.

Proceedings of the Monterey Workshop, held in Monterey, California, August 1999

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Institute on Physics of the Solar Corona, held in Cavouri-Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece, 6-17 September 1970

Pedagogical in style, this book provides insights into plasma behavior valid over twenty orders of magnitude in both time and space. The book assumes that the reader has a basic knowledge of magnetohydrodynamics and explains topics using detailed theoretical analysis supported by discussion of relevant experiments. This comprehensive approach gives the reader an understanding of the essential theoretical ideas and their application to real situations. The book starts by explaining the topological concept of magnetic helicity and then develops a helicity-based model that predicts the ultimate state towards which magnetically-dominated plasmas evolve. The model predicts that no matter how messy or complicated the dynamics, a great range of plasma configurations always self-organize to a unique, simple final state. This self-organization, called relaxation, is a fundamental concept that unifies understanding of spheromaks, solar corona loops, interplanetary magnetic clouds, and astrophysical jets. After establishing why relaxation occurs, the book then examines how relaxation occurs. It shows that relaxation involves a sequence of complex non-equilibrium dynamics including fast self-collimated plasma jets, kink instabilities, magnetic reconnection, and phenomena outside the realm of magnetohydrodynamics. Contents: IntroductionBasic ConceptsMagnetic HelicityRelaxation of an Isolated Configuration to the Taylor StateRelaxation in Driven ConfigurationsThe MHD Energy Principle, Helicity, and Taylor StatesSurvey of Spheromak Formation SchemesClassification of Regimes: An Imperfect Analogy to ThermodynamicsAnalysis of Isolated Cylindrical SpheromaksThe Role of the WallAnalysis of Driven Spheromaks: Strong CouplingHelicity Flow and DynamosConfinement and Transport in SpheromaksSome Important Practical IssuesBasic Diagnostics for SpheromaksApplications of SpheromaksInitial Dynamics Leading to Relaxation: MHD JetsDynamics Associated with Relaxation: Kinks, Rayleigh-Taylor, Hard X-RaysBeyond MHD: Whistler Waves and Fast Magnetic ReconnectionZero-β Models for Solar and Space Phenomena: Helicity, Force-Free EquilibriaFinite-β Models and Experiments for Solar Phenomena: Collimation, Flows, ExpansionBeyond MHD: Extreme Particle Orbits in Helical Magnetic FieldsFinite-β Toroidal Magnetic Cloud ModelAstrophysical Jets, Accretion, Angular Momentum Removal, and Space DynamosAppendices: Vector Identities and OperatorsBessel Orthogonality RelationsCapacitor BanksTransmission Lines, Pulse Forming Networks, and TransformersSelected Formulae Readership: Researchers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates in plasma physics, solar physics, and astrophysics; mathematicians interested in helicity, topology, and self-organization. Keywords: Magnetohydrodynamics;Magnetic Helicity;Spheromaks;MHD;MHD Jets;Kink;Rayleigh Taylor;Accretion Disk;Astrophysical Jet;Solar Prominence;Solar Corona;Solar Corona Loop;CME;Relative Helicity;Taylor Relaxation;Magnetic Reconnection;Whistler Waves;Hall MHD;Electron MHD;Alfven Waves;Magnetic Clouds;Canonical Angular Momentum;Magnetic BrakingReview: Key Features: Unique, no completing titlesThis new revision contains discussion of dynamics underlying self-organization (Taylor relaxation)This new revision contains updates on spheromak research since 2000

This volume is dedicated to the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which was launched 11 February 2010. The articles focus on the spacecraft and its instruments: the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE), and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). Articles within also describe calibration results and data processing pipelines that are critical to understanding the data and products, concluding with a description of the successful Education and Public Outreach activities. This book is geared towards anyone interested in using the unprecedented data from SDO, whether for fundamental heliophysics research, space weather modeling and forecasting, or educational purposes. Previously published in Solar Physics journal, Vol. 275/1-2, 2012. Selected articles in this book are published open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license at link.springer.com. For further details, please see the license information in the chapters.

The Sun as a Guide to Stellar Physics illustrates the significance of the Sun in understanding stars through an examination of the discoveries and insights gained from solar physics research. Ranging from theories to modeling and from numerical simulations to instrumentation and data processing, the book provides an overview of what we currently understand and how the Sun can be a model for gaining further knowledge about stellar physics. Providing both updates on recent developments in solar physics and applications to stellar physics, this book strengthens the solar–stellar connection and summarizes what we know about the Sun for the stellar, space, and geophysics communities. Applies observations, theoretical understanding, modeling capabilities and physical processes first revealed by the sun to the study of stellar physics Illustrates how studies of Proxima Solaris have led to progress in space science, stellar physics and related fields Uses characteristics of solar phenomena as a guide for understanding the physics of stars