Space Physics, 2009 (PDF)
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Introduction to Space Physics A Summary Of Notes and References Related to University of Washington Course ESS 471 Fall 2009 Compiled by Michael McGoodwin, content last updated 12 December 2009 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Vector Calculus: Terminology, Symbols, Definitions, and Selected Theorems ................................................. 5 Physics of Electrical and Magnetic Fields ...................................................................................................... 7 Lorentz Force, Guiding Center, and Guiding Center Drift ........................................................................... 8 Magnetic Confinement, MHD, Other Maxwell Equations, Misc. EM Physics .............................................. 10 Plasmas and Plasma Physics ...................................................................................................................... 13 Temperature and Thermal Particle Velocities in Gases ............................................................................. 13 Plasma Density, Ionization, Temperature, and Debye Parameters ............................................................. 14 Plasma Frequency and Langmuir Waves .................................................................................................. 15 Mirroring, Frozen-In Fields, and Other Plasma-related Topics .................................................................. 15 Basic Facts about the Sun Compared to the Earth .............................................................................. 17 Solar Nucleosynthesis (Fusion Reactions) ................................................................................................... 20 The Proton–proton (pp) Chain⊙ Reaction ................................⊕ .................................................................... 20 The Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen (CNO) Cycle ................................................................................................ 20 Standard Solar Model (SSM), Solar Convection, and Solar Layers ................................................................ 21 Sunspots, Coronal Phenomena, Space and Earth Weather .......................................................................... 23 Magnetic Reconnection ........................................................................................................................... 24 Sunspots—Size, Frequency, Patterns, and Effects on Earth Climate ......................................................... 24 Coronal Phenomena: Loops, Flares, CMEs, Prominences, Holes, etc. ........................................................ 26 Helioseismology ......................................................................................................................................... 29 Solar Magnetic Field and Babcock’s Heuristic Model ................................................................................... 30 Spectroscopic and Doppler Measurements of Solar Emissions ..................................................................... 30 Solar Wind ................................................................................................................................................. 31 General Properties of the Solar Wind at 1 A.U. (Earth’s Orbit) .................................................................. 31 Origin of the Solar Wind .......................................................................................................................... 32 The Slow and Fast Solar Wind Components ............................................................................................. 32 Ulysses Solar Orbiting Spacecraft and Polar Observations ....................................................................... 33 Heliosphere and Vicinity ............................................................................................................................ 34 Heliospheric Current Sheet, Parker Spiral, Garden Hose Angle, and Ballerina Skirt .................................. 35 Cosmic Rays and Their Connection with Sunspots and Atmospheric Ionization ........................................... 38 Earth’s Magnetosphere, Interaction with Solar Wind, and Electric Currents ................................................ 39 Plasmasphere and the Van Allen Trapped Radiation Belts ........................................................................... 46 Plasmasphere ......................................................................................................................................... 46 Trapped Radiation (Van Allen) Belts ........................................................................................................ 48 Plasma Sheet and Plasma-Sheet Boundary Layer ........................................................................................ 51 Ionosphere, Coupling with Magnetosphere, Magnetic Substorms and Storms ............................................. 51 Earth Ionosphere .................................................................................................................................... 51 Geomagnetic Substorms ......................................................................................................................... 53 Geomagnetic Storms ............................................................................................................................... 55 Auroras .................................................................................................................................................. 57 Atmospheric Electricity .............................................................................................................................. 59 Global Atmospheric Electrical Circuit ...................................................................................................... 60 Charge Separation, Thunderstorms, and Lightning .................................................................................. 61 Radio Atmospherics including Whistlers .................................................................................................. 62 Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) .......................................................................................................... 64 Page 1 of 65 X:\MCM\Courses_NonMed\SpacePhysics_ESS471\SpacePhysicsSummary_ESS471_MCM_Fall2009.docx 12 Dec 2009 21:54 The Sun Is Where This Story Begins... 304Å Ultraviolet image of the Sun showing a huge handle-shaped prominence 1 14 Sept. 1999 (EIT/SOHO/ESA–NASA ) 1 Solar Prominence in EIT (Extreme UV Imaging Telescope) of SOHO (Solar & Heliospheric Observatory): • http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/images/superprom.html • http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/images/large/superprom.jpg Page 2 of 65 X:\MCM\Courses_NonMed\SpacePhysics_ESS471\SpacePhysicsSummary_ESS471_MCM_Fall2009.docx 12 Dec 2009 21:54 ... And The Earth’s magnetosphere Is Where The Story Takes Us Diagram showing incoming solar wind, magnetic fields (blue lines with arrowheads), named electric currents and current sheets (m o s t l y red and yellow), and certain plasma regions and flows (stippled or cross-hatched) (modified slightly b y M C M from NOAA 2004 image2) 2 http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/WMM/data/TRWMM_2005.pdf Page 3 of 65 X:\MCM\Courses_NonMed\SpacePhysics_ESS471\SpacePhysicsSummary_ESS471_MCM_Fall2009.docx 12 Dec 2009 21:54 Introduction 3 I compiled this summary to assist in learning materials relevant to the study of Space Physics —the subject of University of Washington course ESS 471, as presented in fall 2009. 4 This course is taught by Professor Robert H Holzworth (“RHH”) . I appreciate Professor Holzworth’s expertise and enthusiasm, his class dog, and his willingness to allow me to audit his course. My apologies for not yet having taken the time to become better acquainted with the scope of his extensive research. When I quote or 5 paraphrase RHH, I am referring to his oral lectures, the PDF versions of his lectures, and his website including his “Key Concepts in Solar Terrestrial Physics” document. A major theme of the course is following the energy from its source in the core of the Sun to its impacts in the Earth’s magnetosphere and Earth atmosphere (but limited here primarily to the ionosphere). The emphasis is primarily on ionization and space plasmas, and electrical and/or magnetic physical phenomena, including lightning and transient luminous events. It is not an atmospheric science course, and only limited mention is made of the effects of the Sun on the Earth’s mesosphere, troposphere, and biosphere. This subject once was termed S o l ar -Terrestrial Physics, but the term has been generalized to include other planets and other planetary systems. I am a retired physician and merely an auditing student, and claim no expertise in this field. The materials here represent selected key concepts assembled for the most part from various Web sources as well as the lecture notes, the textbook, and the assigned materials. No assumptions are made regarding the ultimate authoritativeness of Web sources utilized, particularly Wikipedia, although I believe such sources can frequently provide helpful overview perspectives and links to more scholarly materials. Note that links (URLs) shown in footnotes are “live” and can be followed by clicking on them in PDF documents such as this. The textbook