Physics 954
Eberhard Möbius
PHYSICS 954
Solar Wind and Cosmic Rays
Spring Semester 2001
Instructor:
Prof. Eberhard Möbius
Physics Department and
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space
Office:
Morse Hall, Room 407
Phone
E-Mail
862-3097
Eberhard.Moebius@unh.edu
Office hours:
Tu, We, Fr 1100 – 1200 am
Course Materials:
Book: May-Britt Kallenrode, Space Physics,
Springer Verlag, Berlin, New-York, 1998.
On Reserve in Physics Library:
- Books according to bibliography
- Folders with relevant papers
- Folder with Lecture Notes (to be updated during course)
WWW Page
http://www-ssg.sr.unh.edu/Physics954/954.html
Grading:
A) Homework
B) Class Participation
C) Presentation
D) Term Paper
E) Midterm Exam
F) Final Exam
Based on:
≈ every 2 weeks (≈7)
includes discussion of one homework
teaching of one class
about topic of class presentation
Term Paper
after conference
Draft due: Monday, April 9
Rev. due: Friday, May 11
Midterm Exam:
Friday, March 9
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Physics 954
Eberhard Möbius
Syllabus
The solar wind provides a very versatile laboratory to study the physics of interacting plasmas
and the transport and acceleration of particles in space. The acceleration of the hot corona to a
supersonic wind and its interaction with the interstellar neighborhood is a basic example for the
surroundings of stars. Wherever the supersonic solar wind runs into obstacles the formation of
shock waves: at planetary magnetospheres and comets, in the transition from high to low speed
solar wind, at coronal mass ejections, and at the heliospheric boundary. Shock waves are known
as very efficient particle accelerators in the cosmos. A wide variety of them can be studied insitu within the solar system itself. The populations of particles, which are accelerated in
interplanetary space, range from the solar wind proper, via particles from the planetary and
cometary environments to the interstellar gas. In addition, particles accelerated at the sun during
solar flares and cosmic rays from outside the heliosphere have to be considered. We will include
the discussion of the instrumentation necessary to study these phenomena experimentally.
0. Introduction
Goals
Grading
Overview
I. Solar Wind and Interplanetary Magnetic Field
Solar Wind
Historic overview
Solar atmosphere and static corona
Supersonic expansion of the solar wind (heating, heat transport)
Interplanetary Magnetic Field
One Fluid Magnetohydrodynamics
Magnetic field topology (transport of magnetic flux)
Angular momentum transport
MHD Waves
Sound waves
Alfvèn waves
Interaction with Obstacles (Planets, comets, etc.)
Shock Waves
Rankine-Hugoniot relations
Magnetized shocks
Bow shocks, Heliospheric termination shock
II. Plasma Instrumentation: Low Energy Particles and Fields
Observation Requirements
Measurement parameters
Particle Instruments
Faraday cup
Electrostatic analyzer
Mass Spectrometers
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Time-of-flight
Neutral atom instruments
Field Instruments
Magnetometer
Electric field instruments
Double probe
Electron drift method
III. Interaction of the Interstellar Medium with the Heliosphere
Solar wind neutral gas interaction
Observations
Sources of the neutral gas and their ionization
Pickup process
Transport of Particles in Interplanetary Space
Diffusion
Convection
Adiabatic deceleration
Focusing effects
Modeling of interstellar gas in the solar system
Interstellar neutral gas distribution in the heliosphere
Diagnostics of the local interstellar medium
Boundary of the heliosphere
Size of the heliosphere
Termination shock
IV. Cosmic Ray Instruments: Energetic Particles
Observation Requirements
Measurement parameters
Extension of Low Energy Techniques
Electrostatic analyzer
Time-of-flight
Limitations
Energy loss in matter
Coulomb interaction
Partial ionization
dE/dx versus E detectors
Energetic Particle Detectors
Solid state detectors
Proportional counters
Szintillators
The Earth’s Magnetic Field as a Spectrometer
V. Transport and Acceleration of Charged Particles
Interplanetary Particle Populations
Solar energetic particles
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Bow shock particles
Interplanetary accelerated particles
Anomalous component of cosmic rays
Transport Equations
Basic processes and their derivation
Transport and acceleration effects
Shock Acceleration
Observations at the Earth’s bow shock
Reflection and shock drift acceleration
Diffusive acceleration
Wave-particle interaction
Shock simulations
Interplanetary shocks
VI. Solar Energetic Particles
Observation of Solar Energetic Particles
Spectra and time profiles
Composition
Charge state
Particle Sources
Sun
Coronal mass ejections
Solar energetic particle event classification
Magnetic Reconnection
Steady state reconnection
Diffusive and explosive processes
Particle Acceleration
Electric fields
Shock acceleration
Selective processes
VII. Other Energetic Particles Sources
Galactic Cosmic Rays
Observations
Sources
Anomalous Cosmic Rays
Interstellar gas particles
Acceleration at the termination shock
Transport processes
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Bibliography
More general books
Brandt, J.C., Introduction to the Solar Wind, W.H. Freeman and Co., 1970, Solar wind physics,
includes some instrumentation,
QB505.B72
R
Hundhausen, A., Coronal Expansion and Solar Wind, Classical Introduction to Solar Wind,
Q
R
Kallenrode, M.B., Space Physics, An Introduction to Plasmas and Particles in the Heliosphere
and Magnetospheres, Springer-Verlag, Berlin New-York, 1998; Introductory text to
heliospheric physics
(selected course text)
R
Kirk, J.G., D.B. Melrose, E.R. Priest, Plasma Astrophysics, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1994,
MHD, Transport, Acceleration,
QB462.7.K57
R
Kivelson, M.G., C.T. Russell, Introduction to Space Physics, Cambridge University Press, 1995,
MHD, Solar Wind, Magnetosphere, Shocks, Acceleration
R
Instrumentation
Pfaff, R., J. Borowski, D. Young, eds., Measurement Techniques in Space Plasmas, AGU
Monograph 102 and 103, 1998; First compilation of space plasma physics instrumentation
R
Solar Wind
Schwenn, R., E. Marsch, Physics of the Inner Heliosphere
(Large Scale Phenomena), 1, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1991, Solar Wind, IMF,
QC801.P46.v.20
R
Schwenn, R., E. Marsch, Physics of the Inner Heliosphere
(Particles, Waves and Turbulence), 2, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1991, Solar Wind, Waves,
Cosmic Rays,
QC801.P46.v.21
R
Individual Articles:
Isenberg, P.A., The Solar Wind, Geomagnetism, 4, 1, 85, 1991, Recent Review
R
Mariani, F., F.M. Neubauer, The Interplanetary Magnetic Field
(Large Scale Phenomena), Physics of the Inner Heliosphere, 1, 183, 206, Springer-Verlag,
New York, 1991,
QC801.P46.v.20
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Interstellar Gas - Heliosphere
Grzedzielski, S., D.E. Page, eds., Physics of the Outer Heliosphere, COSPAR Colloquia Series,
1, Pergamon Press, 1990, Recent Conference
R
Von Steiger, R., R. Lallement, M. A. Lee, eds., The Heliosphere in the Local interstellar
Medium, Space Science Series of ISSI, Kluwer Publ., 1996, Recent Review from a
Conference about the local environment of the solar system
R
Scherer, H. Fichtner, E. Marsch eds., To the boundaries of the heliosphere and beyond, The
Outer Heliosphere: Beyond the Planets; K. Copernicus Gesellschaft e.V., 2000, Recent
Summer School of the German Physical Society
(R)
Individual Articles:
Axford, W.I., Introductory Lecture - The Heliosphere, Physics of the Outer Heliosphere,
COSPAR Colloquia Series, 1, 7, 15, Pergamon Press, 1990.
Lallement, R., Scattering of Solar UV on Local Neutral Gas, Physics of the Outer Heliosphere,
COSPAR Colloquia Series, 1, 49, 59, Pergamon Press, 1990, UV Measurements of
Interstellar Gas
Möbius, E., The Interaction of Interstellar Pick-up Ions with the Solar Wind - Probing the
Interstellar Medium by In-Situ Measurements, Physics of the Outer Heliosphere, COSPAR
Colloquia Series, 1, 345, 354, Pergamon Press, 1990, Pickup Ion Measurements of
Interstellar Gas
Cosmic Rays and Acceleration
Zank, G., T.K. Gaisser, Particle Acceleration in Cosmic Plasmas, AIP Conf. Proc. , 264,
American Institute of Physics, New York, 1991; Particle Acceleration in the heliosphere and
other places in the cosmos
R
Individual Articles:
Blandford, R.D., Particle Acceleration Mechanisms, Astrophys. J., Suppl., 90, 515, 520, 1994.
Jokipii, J.R., Diffusive Shock Acceleration: Acceleration Rate, Magnetic Field Direction and
Diffusion Limit, Particle Acceleration in Cosmic Plasmas, AIP Conf. Proc. , 264, 137, 147,
American Institrute of Physics, New York, 1991.
Jokipii, J.R., The Anomalous Component of Cosmic Rays, Physics of the Outer Heliosphere,
COSPAR Colloquia Series, 1, 169, 178, Pergamon Press, 1990, Particle Acceleration at the
Heliospheric Boundary
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Jones, F., A Review of Transport Theory, Particle Acceleration in Cosmic Plasmas, AIP Conf.
Proc., 264, 71, 78, American Institute of Physics, New York, 1991.
Jones, F.C., A Theoretical Review of Diffusive Shock Acceleration, Astrophys. J., Suppl., 90,
561, 566, 1994.
Jones, F.C., D.C. Ellison, The Plasma Physics of Shock Acceleration, Space Science Reviews,
58, 259, 346, 1991, Recent Review on Shocks and Acceleration
Kunow, H., G. Wibberenz, G. Green, R. Müller-Mellin, M.-B. Kallenrode, Energetic Particles in
the Inner Solar System
(Waves, Turbulence, Particles), Physics of the Inner Heliosphere, 2, 243, 342, SpringerVerlag, New York, 1991,
QC801.P46.v.21
Lee, M., Particle Acceleration in the Heliosphere, Particle Acceleration in Cosmic Plasmas, AIP
Conf. Proc. , 264, 27, 44, American Institute of Physics, New York, 1991
McKibben, R.B., Cosmic Rays in the Local Interstellar Medium, Physics of the Outer
Heliosphere, COSPAR Colloquia Series, 1, 107, 118, Pergamon Press, 1990.
Reames, D.V., Particle Acceleration in Solar Flares: Observations, Particle Acceleration in
Cosmic Plasmas, AIP Conf. Proc., 264, 213, 222, American Institute of Physics, New York,
1991.
Scholer, M., Microphysics and Structure of Quasi-Parallel Shocks: Observations, Theory, and
Implications for Particle Acceleration, Particle Acceleration in Cosmic Plasmas, AIP Conf.
Proc., 264, 125, 136, American Institute of Physics, New York, 1991.
Terasawa, T., M. Scholer, The Heliosphere as an Astrophysical Laboratory for Particle
Acceleration, Science, 244, 1050, 1057, 1989.
In Italics:
R:
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This is emphasized in the book/article
This book/article is on reserve; (R) on order
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Physics 954
Eberhard Möbius
Add:
Reames Review
ISSI book on CIRs
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