Undergraduate Space Physics Course

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Undergraduate Space Physics Course iri|iirr1_, i 207162 bOA An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Space Physics Course Understanding The Process of &ience Through One Field's Colorful History Ramon E. Lopez cience education in this country ence education have in general lagged vCtudents need to be aware is in its greatest period of fer- in implementing this philosophy. ment since the post-Sputnik However, many of the ideas solidly in that science h a human frenzy a generation ago. In that earlier the mainstream of precollege science time, however, educators' emphasis education reform (such as a creation. Although the was on producing more scientists and constructivist, interdisciplinary ap- methods and ethics of engineers. Today we recognize that all proach) are now being advocated for Americans need a good science back- college science teaching (e.g., McIn- science mean that, in the ground. tosh, 1994, Redish, 1994). I believe The ability to observe, measure, that such ideas hold considerable long run, the truth will think quantitatively, and reach logical promise, that nontraditional courses win out, one cannot conclusions based on available evi- informed by advances in precollege dence is a set of skills that everyone education should be developed, and underestimate the power entering the workforce needs to ac- that information about such courses be quire if our country is to be competi- disseminated to a wider audience. of personalities when tive in a global economy. Moreover, as In order to develop this idea more considering how science public policy increasingly crystallizes fully, I proposed to teach a historically around scientific issues, it is critical based course about space physics as an is created. that citizens be educated in science so honors course at the University of that they may provide informed debate Maryland--College Park (UMCP). and consent on these issues. The honors program at UMCP was es- These issues are major driving fac- tablished to foster broad-based under- tors in the systemic reform of graduate courses that utilize in_,,vative precollege science education, which is teaching techniques to provide exem- seen the essential tool for not only de- veloping science content knowledge, Ramon E. Lopez isan associate re- but also "scientific habits of mind" search scientist in the department of (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, astronomy, University of Maryland, 1994) Undergraduate and graduate sci- College Park, MD 20742. February 1996 JCST 263 platy education to a select group of basic physics, especially those aspects polar upper atmosphere, where auro- students. Classes are small (no more that play a role in the near-earth space rae are commonly visible; the aurora than 20 students) and draw from a di- environment. acts as the "television screen" for verse student population. Although plasma processes occurring in space ul- space physics generally is presented in A CONTEXTUALOVERVIEW timately powered by the sun. advanced courses emphasizing on Space is not empty. It is filled with The sun produces a continuous out- plasma physics, I designed an intro- ionized gases, called plasmas, and elec- flow of plasma, known as the solar ductory course that would have four tromagnetic fields. Most of the visible wind, that fills interplanetary space. basic goals: universe is in the plasma state, al- When this plasma strikes Earth's ,nag- • To acquaint students with geomag- though on Earth we are more familiar netic field, a comet-shaped cavity netic and auroral phenomena and their with the other three states of matter-- called the magnetosphere is formed in the solar wind. The magnetosphere relationship to the space environment; solids, liquids and gases. In our envi- • To examine issues related to the his- ronment, plasmas are encountered boundary is located where the internal tory of science using the evolution of only in natural electrical discharges (mostly magnetic) and external (mostly one field as an example; such as lightning, in man-made objects plasma) pressures balance. On the day- • To develop familiarity with basic such as the plasmaspheres so prevalent side, the Earth's magnetic field is com- skills such as describing and interpret- at novelty gift shops, or in devices at pressed and blunted into a bullet-head ing observations, analyzing scientific research centers in which experiments shape by the force of the solar wind papers, and communicating the results in controlled nuclear fusion are con- flow. On the nightside, the Earth's of their own research; and ducted. The most spectacular encoun- magnetic field is drawn out into a long • To provide some understanding of ter with natural plasmas is found in the magnetotail extending several hundred Figure 1. A cutaway view of the magnetosphere, the comet-shaped region of space controlled by the Earth's magnetic field. Also indicated in the figure are several of the major regions and currents that comprise the magnetosphere. The Van Allen radiation belts, which are not labeled in this figure, generally lie within the plasmasphere. Solar wind Magnetopause 264 JCST February 1996 earthradiiantisunward.Bycompari- Gauss, Edward Sabine and Richard among them studies of geomagnetic son, the moon orbits at 60 earth ra- Carrington, it was known that "mag- storms and a theory of the ionosphere. dii. Figure 1 depicts a schematic netic storms" were a global phenom- He was a prolific writer and very per- model of the earth'k magnetosphere, enon (if a poorly understood one) and sonable, as well as being a brilliant sci- which itself contains many internal that they were in some way connected entist; in due course he came to domi- SEFLICtLIFCS. to the sun and solar activity (see nate the field. Chapman's and Large-scale plasma physics generally Chapman and Bartels, 1940, Chapter Birkeland's approaches to physics were employs the language of magnetohy- 26). very different, and Chapman did not d rodynamics--hydrodynamics in Kristian Birkeland, a Norwegian accept much of anything that which the fluid is electrically conduct- physicist who studied under Henri Birkeland did (possible reasons for this ing. This is why we speak of balanc- Poincard, took up the study of geo- are discussed by Dessler, 1984). He felt ing magnetic and plasma pressure at magnetic perturbations and the aurora that Birkeland had misinterpreted his the magnetosphere's boundary. The at the turn of the century. Birkeland observations and he put no credence in balance is created through enormous was a fascinating character who raised Birkeland's concept of field-aligned elecuical currents that deform and money from a variety of sources to fi- currents. Because of Chapman's influ- confine the Earth's magnetic field to nance polar expeditions and establish ence, the scientific consensus was that the comet-like shape called the mag- magnetic observatories (Egeland, the currents associated with Birkeland's netosphere. These currents total be- 1984). Using data from these and disturbances were completely con- tween one and five million amperes. other magnetic observatories around tained in the ionosphere (Figure 3). Some of the currents flow down along the world, he came to the conclusion This was the state of affairs when the Earth's magnetic field into the po- that the electric currents during geo- Hannes Alfven entered the field. lar regions. If the currents are strong magnetic disturbances were "... driven Alfven's approach to physics was much enough, processes that are still not by a supply of electricity from with- like Birkeland's--intuitive and heavily completely understood create accelera- out." Birkeland envisioned solar elec- influenced by laboratory experiments. tion regions that energize upward- trons coming in streams from the sun, He felt that many of Birkeland's ideas, moving ions and downward-moving flowing down along the Earth's mag- such as the existence of field-aligned electrons. The accelerated electrons netic field, driving spatially-localized currents, were correct, though he strike the upper atmosphere and cause horizontal currents a couple of hun- agreed with Chapman that clouds of a glow like that in a neon tube, which dred kilometers above the Earth's sur- lionized gas, or plasma, emitted from is called the aurora. face, then flowing back out (see Fig- the sun would have to have equal The electrical energy that drives the ure 2). numbers of positive and negative currents comes from the flow of the Birkeland's ideas encountered some charges, unlike Birkeland's electron solar wind past the Earth's magnetic skepticism, and there were some prob- streams. Throughout his most of his field, which creates a cosmic dynamo. lems with his scenario. Critics pointed career he had to battle against The total current that is driven de- out that beams of electrons would dis- Chapman, the outstanding senior sci- pen& on how much solar-wind en- perse due to self-repulsion of like entist of the time. As a result Alfven ergy is coupled to the magnetosphere, charges, and that if the Sun emitted was forced to publish primarily in ob- which in turn is dependent on how negative charges it would itself become scure Swedish journals. In 1950 he much interconnection there is be- positively charged. These objections published Cosmical Electrodynamics, tween the interplanetary magnetic did not sway Birkeland, who was con- which was his attempt to reach (and field and the magnetospheric field. vinced that auroral magnetic distur- convince) a wider audience. However, When that energy input is especially bances were driven by current systems most of Alfven's ideas were not quickly large, the result is a disturbance in the that connected to space through a accepted by the community, and even Earth's magnetic field called a geo- magnetic fleld-aligned component. In those that in time were accepted were magnetic storm. the last few years of his life his health often not attributed to him (Dessler, The first person to report such geo- and the quality of his work suffered, 1970).
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