Magnetic ?elds are easily generated in astrophysical plasma owing to its ?6 high conductivity. Magnetic ?elds, having strengths of order few 10 G, correlated on several kiloparsec scales are seen in spiral galaxies. Their origin could be due to ampli?cation of a small seed ?eld by a turbulent galactic dynamo. In several galaxies, like the famous M51, magnetic ?elds are well correlated (or anti-correlated) with the optical spiral arms. These are the weakest large-scale ?elds observed in cosmic space. The strongest magnets in space are presumably the so-called magnetars, the highly mag- 15 netized (with the strength of the ?eld of about 10 G) young neutron stars formed in the supernova explosions. The energy of magnetic ?elds is accumulated in astrophysical plasma, and the sudden release of this energy an original electrodynamical 'burst' or'explosion'takesplaceunderde?nitebutquitegeneralconditions(P- att, 1992; Sturrock, 1994; Kivelson and Russell, 1995; Rose, 1998; Priest and Forbes, 2000; Somov, 2000; Kundt, 2001). Such a '?are' in ast- physical plasma is accompanied by fast directed ejections (jets) of plasma, powerful ?ows of heat and hard electromagnetic radiation as well as by impulsive acceleration of charged particles to high energies.

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 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 Honor Prize of the USSR Government), and laureate of the IBC Award, "2000 Outstanding People of the 20th Century," in honor of his contribution to space physics and astrophysics. Five well-known monographs, "Physical Processes in Solar Flares," "Fundamentals of Cosmic Electrodynamics," "Cosmic Plasma Physics" and "Plasma Astrophysics, Parts I&II (First Edition)" by Boris Somov were published by Kluwer Academic Publishers and Springer in 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2006, respectively. He has contributed more than 280 articles to the scientific literature in solar physics and plasma astrophysics.

Klappentext

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

Inhalt
Plasma Astrophysics.- 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.- Reconnection and Flares: Introduction.- Magnetic Reconnection.- Reconnection in a Strong Magnetic Field.- Evidence of Reconnection in Solar Flares.- The Bastille Day 2000 Flare.- Electric Currents Related to Reconnection.- Models of Reconnecting Current Layers.- Reconnection and Collapsing Traps in Solar Flares.- Solar-type Flares in Laboratory and Space.- Particle Acceleration in Current Layers.- Structural Instability of Reconnecting Current Layers.- Tearing Instability of Reconnecting Current Layers.- Magnetic Reconnection and Turbulence.- Reconnection in Weakly-Ionized Plasma.- Magnetic Reconnection of Electric Currents.- Epilogue.