Core Course: Ionospheric and Magnetospheric Physics, 7.5
ECTS, VT
2011
Instructor:
Stephan Buchert (Room 14240, scb@irfu.se, Phone 018 471 5928 Mobile
070856324)
Scientists, incl. S.B., Andris Vaivads, and Yuri Khotyaintsev, will
give seminars, small training projects are offered to be performed by
students.
Time: February - April, 2011. Start date: February 3.
Place:
Probably the Freja room at Space Physics, depends on the number of
participants. Visits of the Alfvén Laboratory of the KTH in Stockholm
are foreseen on two course days or more.
Registration:
If you are interested to participate and would like to, please notify
Stephan Buchert (scb@irfu.se) as
soon as possible.
Course Description
Goal & Content:
This graduate-level course is intended to give insights into the
physics of magnetospheres, i. e. a region around a body in space where
the motion of charged particles is dominated by the magnetic
field. Mainly magnetospheres of planets and moons in our solar system
will be
included. This course will emphasize the interaction between the
magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere. Seminars cover basic
concepts relevant in magnetospheres and ionospheres,
electrodynamics, electric current systems flowing in the ionospere and
magnetosphere, Earth magnetic storms and substorms, aurora,
magnetohydrodynamics, magnetic reconnection, closed
and open field lines, charged particle motion, corotation, radio
emission, etc. Training projects involve the use of freely available
satellite data and ground-based observations as well as numerical
calculations to illustrate concepts discussed in seminars. Subjects
from the course are also relevant in solar physics, particularly the
chromosphere and some astrophysical objects, most notably pulsars.
Literature (preliminary list):
- Introduction to Space Physics, Edited by M.G. Kivelson and C.T.
Russell, 588pp, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995.
- Michael C. Kelley, The Earth's Ionosphere, 576 pages, Academic
Press, 2009
- M. Blanc, R. Kallenbach and N. V. Erkaev, Solar
System
Magnetospheres, Space Science Reviews, Volume 116, Numbers 1-2, 2005.
- C. T. Russell, Outer planet magnetospheres: a tutorial, Advances
in
Space Research, Volume 33, Issue 11, p. 2004-2020, 2004.
- C. T. Russell, The dynamics of planetary magnetospheres,
Planetary and
Space Science, Volume 49, Issue 10-11, p. 1005-1030, 2001.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of courses space physics 1 and 2 or
equivalent.
Examination:
Examination will be based on seminar attendance, presentations of
selected subject sections,
as well as assignments done individually or in groups.