When: Mondays 11:15-12:30 and Wednesdays 14:15-15:30
Where: West Hall 8
The Earth's environment in space is controlled by the interaction of the magnetised solar wind plasma with the geomagnetic field generated in the Earth's core. A geomagnetic cavity is formed in the interplanetary medium (namely, the magnetosphere) where a rich variety of dynamic phenomena can be observed. The dynamics of the magnetosphere gives rise to beautiful auroral displays but is also associated with failures of communication satellites. Furthermore, near-Earth space is a huge natural plasma laboratory accessible by spacecraft which helps to develop a consistent picture of fundamental plasma physical processes.
This course addresses both space plasma physics theory and observations. Spacecraft measurements and ground-based observations are presented to introduce prominent plasma phenomena in near-Earth space. The theoretical models discussed in class include the single-particle picture, single-fluid and multi-fluid magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), and plasma kinetic theory. Emphasis will be on the plasma fluid concept that allows to study flows, waves, and discontinuities in the magnetosphere and in the solar wind.
| Calendar week | Class dates | Topics | Further reading / Remarks |
| 5 | February 1 | Overview and course organization (PDF) | |
| 5 | February 1, 3 | Introduction to space plasma physics (PDF) | BT chap. 1 |
| 6 | February 8, 10 | Single-particle motion in uniform fields (PDF) | BT chap. 2-3 |
| 7 | February 15, 17 | Single-particle motion in weakly non-uniform fields (PDF) | BT chap. 2-3 |
| 8 | Feb. 22, 24; March 1 | Frozen-in magnetic flux (PDF) | BT chap. 5 |
| 9 | March 3, 8 | Forces and currents in magnetized fluids | BT, chap. 7 |
| 10 | March 10 | Field instruments on spacecraft | Sinaia workshop lecture (Uli Auster) Magnetic field instruments (Ingo Richter) |
| 10/11 | March 10, 15 | Plasma fluid models (PDF) | BT, chap. 7 |
| 11 | March 17 | Review session | |
| 12 | March 22 | First exam | |
| 12 | March 24 | Waves and instabilities in plasma fluids | BT, chap. 9 |
| 13/14 | March 29, 31; April 5 | Spring break, no class sessions | |
| 14/15 | April 7, 12, 14 | Waves and instabilities in plasma fluids (PDF) | BT, chap. 9; see also Sinaia workshop lecture (Ondrej Santolik) |
| 15 | April 14 | Plasma discontinuities and shocks | BT, chap. 8; see also Sinaia workshop lecture (Goetz Paschmann) |
| 16 | April 19, 21 | Particle distribution functions | BT, chap. 6 |
| 17 | April 26, 28 | Elements of plasma kinetic theory | BT, chaps. 6, 7, 10 |
| 17 | April 28 | Aspects of particle spectrometry | Sinaia workshop lecture (Berndt Klecker),
Chapter 5 of the ISSI Multi-S/C book |
| 18 | May 3, 5 | Auroral plasma physics (Presentation IAGA 2009) | Sinaia workshop lecture (Tomas Karlsson),
ISSI book on Auroral Plasma Physics |
| 19 | May 10 | Review session | |
| 19 | May 12 | Second exam |
Grade components and their contributions towards the final grade (in %) are as follows.
Homework problems are given on the problem sets together with sample quiz problems and sample exam problems. Solutions to the homework problems have to submitted and will be graded. Sample solutions to the other problem categories will be provided.
Quizzes (short tests, 15 minutes each) at the beginning of selected lectures are supposed to secure the continuous progress of the students in this course. Six such tests will be offered. Only the best four quizzes will contribute towards the final grade.
Exams: The course assessment scheme is concluded by two exams.
| No. | Topics (tentative) | Problem sheet (due date) | Sample solutions |
| 1 | Introduction to space plasma physics | PDF (10 February 2010) | |
| 2 | Single-particle motion in uniform fields | PDF (17 February 2010) | |
| 3 | Single-particle motion in weakly non-uniform fields | PDF (24 February 2010) | |
| 4 | Frozen-in magnetic flux | PDF (8 March 2010) | |
| 5 | Forces and currents in magnetized fluids | PDF (17 March 2010) | |
| 6 | Waves and instabilities in plasma fluids | PDF (14 April 2010) | |
| 7 | Particle distribution functions | PDF (21 April 2010)) | |
| 8 | Elements of plasma kinetic theory | PDF (28 April 2010) | |
| 9 | Auroral plasma physics | PDF (10 May 2010) |
The textbook of this course is
The following books are suited for additional reading.