Magnetohydrodynamics of the Sun

This advanced textbook reviews the complex interaction between the Sun's plasma atmosphere and its magnetic field.

Eric Priest (Author)

9780521854719, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 April 2014

576 pages, 493 b/w illus. 13 tables 94 exercises
26 x 20.7 x 3 cm, 1.7 kg

Magnetohydrodynamics of the Sun is a completely new up-to-date rewrite from scratch of the 1982 book Solar Magnetohydrodynamics, taking account of enormous advances in understanding since that date. It describes the subtle and complex interaction between the Sun's plasma atmosphere and its magnetic field, which is responsible for many fascinating dynamic phenomena. Chapters cover the generation of the Sun's magnetic field by dynamo action, magnetoconvection and the nature of photospheric flux tubes such as sunspots, the heating of the outer atmosphere by waves or reconnection, the structure of prominences, the nature of eruptive instability and magnetic reconnection in solar flares and coronal mass ejections, and the acceleration of the solar wind by reconnection or wave-turbulence. It is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in solar physics and related fields of astronomy, plasma physics and fluid dynamics. Problem sets and other resources are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521854719.

Preface
1. A description of the Sun
2. Basic equations of MHD
3. Magnetohydrostatics
4. Waves
5. Shock waves
6. Magnetic reconnection
7. Instability
8. Dynamo theory
9. Magnetoconvection and sunspots
10. Heating of the upper atmosphere
11. Prominences
12. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections
13. The solar wind
Appendices
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Physics [PH], Solar system: the Sun & planets [PGS], Astronomy, space & time [PG]