Introduction to Plasmas and Plasma Dynamics

Space Plasma Environment and Plasma Dynamics

Introduction

The observable environment of the Earth includes our atmosphere, the Sun, the planets, and the stars. The Sun has manifested itself as the dominant source of light and energy, and, more benignly, the observable patterns of light emanating from the Sun, planets, and stars have given first clues to the complex makeup of the universe. More dramatically, the northern latitudes have given evidence of geoscale aurora light displays, which signal the existence of a dynamic physics beyond the Earth surface. In the mid-1800's a connection between dramatic solar activity, geomagnetic activity, and aurora displays was observed (Carrington) (Roberclauer and Siscoe, 2006). In the early 1900s, the transmission ...