This well-illustrated monograph is devoted to classic fundamentals, current practice, and perspectives of modern plasma astrophysics. The first part of the book is unique in covering all the basic principles and practical tools required for understanding and work in plasma astrophysics. The second part represents the physics of magnetic reconnection and flares of electromagnetic origin in space plasmas in the solar system, single and double stars, relativistic objects, accretion disks, their coronae. The level of the book is designed mainly for professional researchers in astrophysics. The book will also be interesting and useful to graduate students in space sciences, geophysics, as well as to advanced students in applied physics and mathematics seeking a unified view of plasma physics and fluid mechanics.

In the book, brief historical remarks demonstrate that the outstanding discoveries in cosmic physics were by no means governed by chance Distinguishing feature of the proposed book is the consecutive consideration of physical principles, starting from the most general ones (the first principles), and of the simplifying assumptions which give us more and more simpler descriptions of plasma under cosmic conditions

Autorentext

Boris Somov is a professor at the Moscow State University, laureate of the State Prize of the former USSR (the Honour Prize of the USSR Government), and laureate of the IBC Award '2000 Outstanding People of the 20th Century' in honour of his contribution to space physics. Three well-known monographs "Physical Processes in Solar Flares", "Fundamental of Cosmic Electrodynamics", and "Cosmic Plasma Physics" by Boris Somov were published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1992, 1994 and 2000. He has contributed more than 170 articles to the scientific literature in solar physics and plasma astrophysics.

Inhalt
Plasma Astrophysics: History and Neighbours.- Particles and Fields: Exact Self-Consistent Description.- Statistical Description of Interacting Particle Systems.- Weakly-Coupled Systems with Binary Collisions.- Propagation of Fast Particles in Plasma.- Motion of a Charged Particle in Given Fields.- Adiabatic Invariants in Astrophysical Plasma.- Wave-Particle Interaction in Astrophysical Plasma.- Coulomb Collisions in Astrophysical Plasma.- Macroscopic Description of Astrophysical Plasma.- Multi-Fluid Models of Astrophysical Plasma.- The Generalized Ohm's Law in Plasma.- Single-Fluid Models for Astrophysical Plasma.- Magnetohydrodynamics in Astrophysics.- Plasma Flows in a Strong Magnetic Field.- MHD Waves in Astrophysical Plasma.- Discontinuous Flows in a MHD Medium.- Evolutionarity of MHD Discontinuities.- Particle Acceleration by Shock Waves.- Plasma Equilibrium in Magnetic Field.- Stationary Flows in a Magnetic Field.