Measurement Techniques In Space Plasmas

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 102. Space plasma measurements are conducted in a hostile, remote environment. The art and science of measurements gathered in space depend therefore on unique instrument designs and fabrication methods to an extent perhaps unprecedented in experimental physics. In-situ measurement of space plasmas constitutes an expensive, unforgiving, and highly visible form of scientific endeavor.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 103. Space plasma measurements are conducted in a hostile, remote environment. The art and science of measurements gathered in space depend therefore on unique instrument designs and fabrication methods to an extent perhaps unprecedented in experimental physics. In-situ measurement of space plasmas constitutes an expensive, unforgiving, and highly visible form of scientific endeavor.

This didactic book uses a data-driven approach to connect measurements made by plasma instruments to the real world. This approach makes full use of the instruments’ capability and examines the data at the most detailed level an experiment can provide. Students using this approach will learn what instruments can measure, and working with real-world data will pave their way to models consistent with these observations. While conceived as a teaching tool, the book contains a considerable amount of new information. It emphasizes recent results, such as particle measurements made from the Cluster ion experiment, explores the consequences of new discoveries, and evaluates new trends or techniques in the field. At the same time, the author ensures that the physical concepts used to interpret the data are general and widely applicable. The topics included help readers understand basic problems fundamental to space plasma physics. Some are appearing for the first time in a space physics textbook. Others present different perspectives and interpretations of old problems and models that were previously considered incontestable. This book is essential reading for graduate students in space plasma physics, and a useful reference for the broader astrophysics community.

The National Bureau of Standards has embarked on a special program to unify and accelerate its research on hot gases. This work will provide data and theory presently required for the quantitative interpretation of astrophysical and geophysical observations and the measurement of properties of plasmas in the laboratory. The data, measurement techniques, and theoretical methods of analysis draw on activities in the fields on atomic and molecular physics, statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and theoretical astrophysics and geophysics. Both the Washington and Boulder laboratories of the NBS are participating. This note describes the technical objectives of the program and includes in appendices a selected list of papers published at the NBS for the period 1955-1959 and a partial list of Bureau participants.

In this volume a thorough review is given of waves in dusty plasmas, a fascinating new domain combining plasmas and charged dust, two omnipresent ingredients of the Universe. Spokes and braids observed in the rings of Saturn cannot be explained by gravitation alone, but need the presence of charged dust. Other examples abound, as in zodiacal light, noctilucent clouds, comets and molecular clouds. After discussing charging mechanisms, supported by exciting new experiments, and space observations, the book describes extensions of known plasma modes covering the low frequencies typical for charged dust. Mixing detailed theoretical steps with summaries of expert contributions, a systematic multi-species treatment puts the literature in perspective, suitable also for newcomers. Typical complications like fluctuating dust charges, self-gravitational effects, and size distributions are dealt with, before ending with an outlook to future work and open questions. In this way, experts as well as interested newcomers will find a reliable guide, not just a compendium.

This textbook was developed to provide seniors and first-year graduate students in physical sciences with a general knowledge of electrodynamic phenomena in space. Since the launch of the first unmanned satellite in 1957, experiments have been performed to study the behavior of electromagnetic fields and charged particles. There is now a considerable amount of data on hand, and many articles, including excellent review articles, have been written for the specialists. However, for students, new researchers, and non-specialists, a need still exists for a book that integrates these observations in a coherent way. This book is an attempt to meet that need by using the theory of classical electrodynamics to unify space observations. The contents of this book are based on classroom notes developed for an introductory space physics course that the author has taught for many years at the University of Washington. Students taking the course normally have had an undergraduate course in electricity and magnetism but they come with very little knowledge about space.

This book presents recent results on the modelling of space plasmas with Kappa distributions and their interpretation. Hot and dilute space plasmas most often do not reach thermal equilibrium, their dynamics being essentially conditioned by the kinetic effects of plasma particles, i.e., electrons, protons, and heavier ions. Deviations from thermal equilibrium shown by these plasma particles are often described by Kappa distributions. Although well-known, these distributions are still controversial in achieving a statistical characterization and a physical interpretation of non-equilibrium plasmas. The results of the Kappa modelling presented here mark a significant progress with respect to all these aspects and open perspectives to understanding the high-resolution data collected by the new generation of telescopes and spacecraft missions. The book is directed to the large community of plasma astrophysics, including graduate students and specialists from associated disciplines, given the palette of the proposed topics reaching from applications to the solar atmosphere and the solar wind, via linear and quasilinear modelling of multi-species plasmas and waves within, to the fundamental physics of nonequilibrium plasmas.

This work presents one of the most powerful methods of plasma diagnosis in exquisite detail, to guide researchers in the theory and measurement techniques of light scattering in plasmas. Light scattering in plasmas is essential in the research and development of fusion energy, environmental solutions, and electronics. Referred to as the "Bible" by researchers, the work encompasses fusion and industrial applications essential in plasma research. It is the only comprehensive resource specific to the plasma scattering technique. It provides a wide-range of experimental examples and discussion of their principles with worked examples to assist researchers in applying the theory. Computing techniques for solving basic equations helps researchers compare data to the actual experiment New material on advances on the experimental side, such as the application of high density plasmas of inertial fusion Worked out examples of the scattering technique for easier comprehension of theory