Most of the visible matter in the universe exists in the plasma state. Plasmas are of major importance for space physics, solar physics, and astrophysics. On Earth they are essential for magnetic controlled thermonuclear fusion.

This textbook collects lecture notes from a one-semester course taught at the K.U. Leuven to advanced undergraduate students in applied mathematics and physics. A particular strength of this book is that it provides a low threshold introduction to plasmas with an emphasis on first principles and fundamental concepts and properties.

The discussion of plasma models is to a large extent limited to Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) with its merits and limitations clearly explained. MHD provides the students on their first encounter with plasmas, with a powerful plasma model that they can link to familiar classic fluid dynamics. The solar wind is studied as an example of hydrodynamics and MHD at work in solar physics and astrophysics.

The Original Energy theory postulates that the Universeis originated from cold, fold, compressed embryonic energyformation; ironically from the no weight, no charge, the tiniestelement, the photon. Through Photongenesis procedure a mutualgeneration between photon and electron, from ultra energeticto less energetic stage, photons and electrons constitute everyexistence, including life inside the universe. Under the guidanceof the Original Energy codes, photons derive, develop, govern, transform and rule the universe. It means the universe did notderive from infinitely hot, dense matter, the primeval atom, afterthe singularity and the Big Bang event. The mass dependentgravitational force is not the primordial force.Proton, neutron and electrons might occupy only 4 % of thevolume of an atom; the rest of it is electromagnetic energy. Matteronly constitutes 4% of the volume of the entire universe; therest is electromagnetic energysphere emanates from de nucleusof every heavenly body and the universe, making it isotropic, homogeneous and stable. Hence, energy is the most importantpart of the universe As material existence, heavenly bodies, life continually evolves, transforms, vanishes and would be recycled in the universe. Onlythe Original Energy would last forever.If we know the most basic element that constitutes theuniverse we would know the secret of everything. Photogenesisreveals precisely the origin of the universe, the origin of life andthe fate of the universe.

It is this editor's distinct pleasure to offer to the readership the text of the lectures presented at our recent NATO Advanced Study Institute held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy between August 6 and August 17, 1984. The invited lectures are printed in their entirety while the seminar contributions are presented as abstracts. Our Advanced Study Institutes were originated in 1972 and the reader, familiar with periodic phenomena, so important in Celestial Mechanics, will easily establish the fact that this Institute was our fifth one in the series. We dedicated the Institute to the subject of stability which itself is a humbling experience since it encompasses all fields of sciences and it is a basic element of human culture. The many definitions in existence and their practical applications could easily fill another volume. It is known in this field that it is easy to deliver lectures or write papers on stability as long as the definition of stability is carefully avoided. On the other hand, if one selects a definition, he might be criticized for using that definition and not another one. In this volume we carefully defined the specific concept of stability used in every lecture. If the reader wishes to introduce other definitions we feel that he should be entirely free and we encourage him to do so. It is also known that certain sta bility definitions and concepts are more applicable to certain given fields than to others."

Space storms, the manifestation of bad weather in space, have a number of physical effects in the near-Earth environment: acceleration of charged particles in space, intensification of electric currents in space and on the ground, impressive aurora displays, and global magnetic disturbances on the Earth's surface. Space weather has been defined as conditions on the Sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space- and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life'. The 19 chapters of this book, written by some of the foremost experts on the topic, present the most recent developments in space storm physics and related technological issues, such as malfunction of satellites, communication and navigation systems, and electric power distribution grids.
Readership: researchers, teachers and graduate students in space physics, astronomy, geomagnetism, space technology, electric power and communication technology, and non-specialist physicists and engineers.

As recommended in the United Nations Space & Atmospheric Science Education Curriculum booklet. Please find it amongst classics such as T.J.M. Boyd, J.J. Sanderson, J.K. Hargreaves and M.C. Kelly etc.

This book contains the lectures presented at the International Workshop on Relation between Laboratory and Space Plasmas held at Gakushi-Kaikan (University Alumni Association) Kanda in Tokyo, Japan on 14 - 15 April, 1980. Its aim was to bring together laboratory, fusion and space plasma physicists and to highlight the communality of basic plasma phenomena, similarities and differences observed in the laboratory and in space, thus exchanging information tnd views on new ideas to link both areas. Although similar type of conferences were held in Europe and recently in the States, this is the first time we have had in Japan for such an international meeting, which may be regarded as an extended version of our national Workshop held twice at the Institute of Plasma Physics of Japan (IPPJ) in 1976 and in 1977 (IPPJ Research Report No. 286 and No. 365). The Workshop consisted of seven regular sessions and one special session with approximately ninety participants from allover the world. Thirty-six papers, invited and contributed, were presented, nine from U. S. A., three from U. S. S. R., two of each from Germany, France, India, one of each from Sweden, Canada, Belgium and fifteen from Japan. The topics covered were: (1) The Critical Velocity (2) Beam Plasma Discharges and Interactions (3) Double Layers and Shocks (4) Instabilities in the Equatorial and Auroral Electrojets (5) Turbulent and Anomalous Plasmas (6) Plasma Irregularities (7) Solar Plasma Phenomena (8) Active Experiments in Space Plasmas and Their Simulation in the Laboratory.

This volume presents the latest research results on solar prominences, including new developments on e.g. chirality, fine structure, magnetism, diagnostic tools and relevant solar plasma physics. In 1875 solar prominences, as seen out of the solar limb, were described by P.A. Secchi in his book Le Soleil as "gigantic pink or peach-flower coloured flames". The development of spectroscopy, coronagraphy and polarimetry brought tremendous observational advances in the twentieth century. The authors present and discuss exciting new challenges (resulting from observations made by space and ground-based telescopes in the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century) concerning the diagnostics of prominences, their formation, their life time and their eruption along with their impact in the heliosphere (including the Earth). The book starts with a general introduction of the prominence "object" with some historical background on observations and instrumentation. In the next chapter, the various forms of prominences are described with a thorough attempt of classification. Their thermodynamic (and velocity) properties are then derived with emphasis on the methods (and their limits) used. This goes from the simplest optically thin case to the heavy radiative treatment of plasmas out of local thermodynamic equilibrium. The following chapters are devoted to the magnetic field measurements and indirect derivation. A new branch of diagnostic tools, the seismology, is presented along with some MHD basics. This allows to better understand the propagation of waves, the energy and force equilibria. Both small-scale and large-scale studies and their relationship are presented. The importance of the newly discovered cavities is stressed in the context of prominence destabilization. The issues of prominence formation and eruption, their connection with flares and Coronal Mass Ejections and their impact on the Earth are addressed on the basis of the latest results. Finally, an exciting new area of research is unveiled with the newly discovered evidence of similar manifestations in the Universe and their possible impact on the habitability of exoplanets. References to the basic physics (where necessary) are provided and the proposed web sites addresses will allow the reader to load exciting movies. The book is aimed at advanced students in astrophysics, post-graduates, solar physicists and more generally astrophysicists. Amateurs will enjoy the many new images which go with the text.

The study of dark matter, in both astrophysics and particle physics, has emerged as one of the most active and exciting topics of research in recent years. This book reviews the history behind the discovery of missing mass (or unseen mass) in the Universe, and ties this into the proposed extensions to the Standard Model of Particle Physics (such as Supersymmetry), which were being proposed within the same time frame. This book is written as an introduction to these problems at the forefront of astrophysics and particle physics, with the goal of conveying the physics of dark matter to beginning undergraduate majors in scientific fields. The book goes onto describe existing and upcoming experiments and techniques, which will be used to detect dark matter either directly on indirectly.

Presents the experimental results while explaining the underlying physics on the basis of simple reasoning and agumentation.

Assumes only basic knowledge of of fundamental physics and mathematics as usually required for introductory college courses in science or engineering curricula.

Derives more specifics of selected topics as each phenomenon considered, epmasizing an intuitive over a rigorous mathematical approach.

Directed at a broad group of readers and students.

John Dyson has contributed to the study of the hydrodynamic processes that govern a wide variety of astrophysical sources which he has helped explain. In this volume dedicated to him, introductory reviews to a number of the key processes and to the sources themselves are given by leading experts. The mechanisms in which the multi-component natures of media affect their dynamics receive particular attention, but the roles of hydromagnetic effects are also highlighted. The importance of cosmic ray moderation and mass transfer between different thermal phases for cosmic ray moderation and mass transfer between different thermal phases for the evolution of flows are amongst the topics treated. The main types of regions considered include those where starts form, the circumstellar environments of evolved stars, the larger scale interstellar structures caused by the mass loss of stars, and those where the lines of AGNs form.

This volume has grown out of lectures addressing primarily graduate students and researchers working in related areas in both astrophysics and space sciences. All contributions are self-contained and do not require prior in-depth knowledge of solar physics. The result is a unique textbook that fulfills the needs of those wishing to have a pedagogic exposition of solar physics bringing them up-to-date in a field full of vitality and with exciting research.

Thisbookpresentsmaterialwhichismorealgorithmicallyorientedthanmost alternatives.Italsodealswithtopicsthatareatorbeyondthestateoftheart. Examples include practical and applicable wavelet and other multiresolution transform analysis. New areas are broached like the ridgelet and curvelet transforms. The reader will ?nd in this book an engineering approach to the interpretation of scienti?c data. Compared to the 1st Edition, various additions have been made throu- out, and the topics covered have been updated. The background or en- ronment of this book's topics include continuing interest in e-science and the virtual observatory, which are based on web based and increasingly web service based science and engineering. Additional colleagues whom we would like to acknowledge in this 2nd edition include: Bedros Afeyan, Nabila Aghanim, Emmanuel Cand' es, David Donoho, Jalal Fadili, and Sandrine Pires, We would like to particularly - knowledge Olivier Forni who contributed to the discussion on compression of hyperspectral data, Yassir Moudden on multiwavelength data analysis and Vicent Mart' ?nez on the genus function. The cover image to this 2nd edition is from the Deep Impact project. It was taken approximately 8 minutes after impact on 4 July 2005 with the CLEAR6 ?lter and deconvolved using the Richardson-Lucy method. We thank Don Lindler, Ivo Busko, Mike A'Hearn and the Deep Impact team for the processing of this image and for providing it to us.

For the first time in human history, developments in many branches of science provide us with an opportunity of formula ting a comprehensive picture of the universe from its beginning to the present time. It is an awesome reflection that the carbon in our bodies is the very carbon which was generated during the birth of a star. There is a perceptible continuum through the billions of years which can be revealed by the study of chemistry. Studies in nucleosynthesis have related the origin of the elements to the life history of the stars. The chemical elements we find on earth, HYdrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, and Nitrogen, were created in astronomical processes that took place in the past, and these elements are not spread throughout space in the form of stars and galaxies. Radioastronomers have discovered a vast array of organic molecules in the interstellar medium which have a bearing on prebiological chemical processes. Many of the molecules found so far contain the four elements, C, N, 0, H. Except for the chem ically unreactive He, these four elements are the most abundant in the galaxy. The origin of polyatomic interstellar molecules is an unresolved problem. While we can explain the formation of some diatomic molecules as due to two atom collisions, it is much more difficult to form polyatomic molecules by collisions between diatomic molecules and atoms. There may be other produc tion mechanisms at work such as reactions taking place on the surface of interstellar dust grains."

Dwarf galaxy research constitutes an extremely vibrant field of astrophysical research, with many long-standing questions still unsettled and new ones constantly arising. The intriguing diversity of the dwarf galaxy population, observed with advanced ground-based and space-borne observatories over a wide spectral window providing an unprecedented level of detail, poses new challenges for both observers and theoreticians.
The aim of this symposium was to bring together these two groups to exchange ideas and new results on the many evolutionary aspects of and open issues concerning dwarf galaxies. The main topics addressed include: the birth of dwarf galaxies: theoretical concepts and observable relics across wavelengths and time, the morphological, structural and chemical evolution of dwarf galaxies, possible evolutionary connections between early-type and late-type dwarfs, the star formation history of dwarf galaxies and its dependence on intrinsic and environmental properties, the origin and implications of starburst activity in dwarf galaxies, the fate of dwarfish systems born out of tidally ejected matter in galaxy collisions.

NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) was launched on August 25, 1997, carrying six high-resolution spectrometers that measure the abundances of the elements, isotopes, and ionic charge states of energetic nuclei in space. Data from these instruments is being used to measure and compare the composition of the solar corona, the nearby interstellar medium, and cosmic-ray sources in the Galaxy, and to study particle acceleration processes in a variety of environments. ACE also includes three instruments that monitor solar wind and energetic particle activity near the inner Lagrangian point, "1.5 million kilometers sunward of Earth, and provide continuous, real-time data to NOAA for use in forecasting space weather. Eleven of the articles in this volume review scientific progress and outline questions that ACE will address in solar, space-plasma, and cosmic-ray physics. Other articles describe the ACE spacecraft, the real-time solar-wind system, and the instruments used to measure energetic particle composition.

This thesis focuses on understanding the growth and formation mechanism of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), an issue it addresses by investigating the dense interstellar medium that is assumed to be a crucial component of the fuel for SMBHs. The thesis also offers unique guidance on using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) research. The author presents the three major findings regarding SMBH formation and growth: (1) The development of a new diagnostic method for the energy sources in galaxies based on submillimeter spectroscopy, which allows identification of accreting SMBHs even in obscured environments, (2) the discovery that the circumnuclear dense gas disk (CND), with a typical size of a few tens of parsecs, which plays a crucial role in governing the growth of SMBHs, and (3) the discovery that the mass transfer budget from the CND to the central SMBHs can be quantitatively understood with a theoretical model incorporating the circumnuclear starburst as a driver of mass transfer. The thesis skillfully reviews these three findings, which have greatly improved our understanding of the growth mechanism of SMBHs.

Black holes are becoming increasingly important in contemporary research in astrophysics, cosmology, theoretical physics, and mathematics. Indeed, they provoke some of the most fascinating questions in fundamental physics, which may lead to revolutions in scientific thought. Written by distinguished scientists, Classical and Quantum Black Holes provides a comprehensive panorama of black hole physics and mathematics from a modern point of view. The book begins with a general introduction, followed by five parts that cover several modern aspects of the subject, ranging from the observational and the experimental to the more theoretical and mathematical issues. The material is written at a level suitable for postgraduate students entering the field.

Exciting results are blooming, thanks to a convergence between unprecedented asteroseismic data obtained by the satellites CoRoT and KEPLER, and state-of-the-art models of the internal structure of red giants and of galactic evolution. The pulsation properties now available for thousands of red giants promise to add valuable and independent constraints to current models of structure and evolution of our galaxy. Such a close connection between these domains opens a new very promising gate in our understanding of stars and galaxies. In this book international leaders in the field offer a wide perspective of the recent advancements in: Asteroseismology of red giants Models of the atmosphere, internal structure, and evolution of red giants Stellar population synthesis and models of the Milky Way

The 1990s are proving to be a very exciting p&iod for high angular resolution astronomy. At radio wavelengths a combination of new array instruments and pow erful imaging algorithms have generated images of unprecedented resolution and quality. In the optical and infrared, the great technical difficulties associated with constructing separated-aperture interferometers have been largely overcome, and many new instruments are now operating or are being developed. As these pro grams start to produce observational results they will be able to draw extensively on the experience gained by the radio-interferometry community. Thus it seemed that the time was ripe for a meeting which would bring together workers from all wavelength ranges to discuss the details of the science and art of "Very High Angular Resolution Imaging" . While the main emphasis of Symposium No. 158 was on high resolution tech niques from the radio, mm-wave, infrared and optical bands, it also provided an opportunity for presentation of astronomical results from these techniques. As well as giving our colleagues from the Northern Hemisphere a break from midwinter, the location of the Symposium in Australia recognised the continuing development of astronomical interferometry in this country, especially the recent completion of the Australia Telescope radio array, and the progress toward com missioning of the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer. A number of the par ticipants visited these instruments during the post-symposium tour."

I.A.U. symposium No. 110 on VLBI and Compact Radio Sources was held in Bologna, Italy from June 27 to July 1, 1983. 166 participants from 19 countries were registered and 106 invited and contributed papers were registered. The scientific presentations and discussion concentrated on VLBI observation and interpretation of galactic and extragalactic radio sour ces, including topics as diverse as quasars and galactic nuclei, inter stellar masers, pulsars, and astrometry. Geodetic applications and tech nical development were treated only briefly, as these topics have been the subject of other recent international symposia. Since the first VLBI observations in 1967, sensitivity, resolution, and image quality have improved dramatically. Radio maps shown at the symposium were of comparable quality to conventional synthesis maps be ing made at the time of the first VLBI experiments 15 years ago, but with a resolution more than a factor of 1000 better. We wanted to accommodate the large number of contributed papers in this rapidly developing field, but there was inadequate time for normal oral presentations and discussion. We therefore asked that all contrib uted papers be put on display for at least 24 hours prior to a brief oral summary. A question and discussion period followed groups of oral pres entations on the same or similar topic. In this way the opportunity for interactive discussion, not available in conventional poster displays, was preserved."

From the reviews:

.."...The book is a very good balance between theory and applications, of analysis and synthesis, keeping always the focus on the comprehension of the physics ruling our planetary system.

In summary, this represents both an excellent textbook for students and a fundamental reference, and encyclopedic summary current knowledge, for researchers in the Solar System field." (Alessandro Rossi, Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, 2005)

NUEVA TEORIA SOBRE EL ORIGEN DEL UNIVERSO Y DE LA VIDA La teoria de la Energia Original afirma que bajo la guia y codigos de la Energia Original el universo se origino a partir del foton: La Fotogenesis del foton es el origen del universo; La biogenesis del foton es el origen de la vida. Esto implica que el universo no derivo del infinitamente, caliente, denso, atomo primordial, a partir de la nada; que no se formo posterior a los eventos de la Singularidad y de la gran explosion, el Big Bang. La masa dependiente fuerza gravitacional no es la fuerza primordial que rige el universo. La Nada solamente puede crear Nada. La suma de masa entre proton, neutron y electrones quizas constituya el 4% del volumen de un atomo, el resto es energia. La materia solo constituye el 4% del volumen de todo el universo; el resto es ocupado por energia electromagnetica, haciendo que el universo sea homogeneo, isotropico y estable. Por lo tanto, la energia electromagnetica es el constituyente primordial del universo Esto implica que las supuestas Materia Negra, Energia Negra y la Constante Cosmica son innecesarias para la integridad del universo. Entre al fascinante origen del universo

These are the proceedings of the Symposium 3 of JENAM 2011 on new scientific challenges posed by the Sun. The topics covered are

1. The unusual sunspot minimum, which poses challenges to the solar dynamo theory

2. The Sun's Terra-Hertz emission, which opens a new observational window

3. Corona wave activity

4. Space weather agents - initiation, propagation, and forecasting

In 21 in-depth contributions, the reader will be presented with the latest findings."

Ideas and Methods of Supersymmetry and Supergravity: Or a Walk Through Superspace provides a comprehensive, detailed, and self-contained account of four dimensional simple supersymmetry and supergravity. Throughout the book, the authors cultivate their material in detail with calculations and full discussions of the fundamental ideas and motivations. They develop the subject in its superfield formulations but where appropriate for illustration, analogy, and comparison with conventional field theory, they use the component formulation. The book discusses many subjects that, until now, can only be found in the research literature. In addition, it presents a plethora of new results. Combining classical and quantum field theory with group theory, differential geometry, and algebra, the book begins with a solid mathematical background that is used in the rest of the book. The next chapter covers algebraic aspects of supersymmetry and the concepts of superspace and superfield. In the following chapters, the book presents classical and quantum superfield theory and the superfield formulation of supergravity. A synthesis of results and methods developed in the book, the final chapter concludes with the theory of effective action in curved superspaces. After studying this book, readers should be well prepared to pursue independent research in any area of supersymmetry and supergravity. It will be an indispensable source of reference for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral faculty, and researchers involved in quantum field theory, high energy physics, gravity theory, mathematical physics, and applied mathematics.

It is good to mark the new Millennium by looking back as well as forward. Whatever Shines Should Be Observed looks to the nineteenth century to celebrate the achievements of five distinguished women, four of whom were born in Ireland while the fifth married into an Irish family, who made pioneering contributions to photography, microscopy, astronomy and astrophysics.

The women featured came from either aristocratic or professional families. Thus, at first sight, they had many material advantages among their peers. In the ranks of the aristocracy there was often a great passion for learning, and the mansions in which these families lived contained libraries, technical equipment (microscopes and telescopes) and collections from the world of nature. More modest professional households of the time were rich in books, while activities such as observing the stars, collecting plants etc. typically formed an integral part of the children's education.

To balance this it was the prevailing philosophy that boys could learn, in addition to basic subjects, mathematics, mechanics, physics, chemistry and classical languages, while girls were channelled into 'polite' subjects like music and needlework. This arrangement allowed boys to progress to University should they so wish, where a range of interesting career choices (including science and engineering) was open to them. Girls, on the other hand, usually received their education at home, often under the tutelage of a governess who would not herself had had any serious contact with scientific or technical subjects. In particular, progress to University was not during most of the nineteenth century an option for women, and access toscientific libraries and institutions was also prohibited.

Although those women with aristocratic and professional backgrounds were in a materially privileged position and had an opportunity to 'see' through the activities of their male friends and relatives how professional scientific life was lived, to progress from their places in society to the professions required very special determination. Firstly, they had to individually acquire scientific and technical knowledge, as well as necessary laboratory methodology, without the advantage of formal training. Then, it was necessary to carve out a niche in a particular field, despite the special difficulties attending the publication of scientific books or articles by a woman. There was no easy road to science, or even any well worn track. To achieve recognition was a pioneering activity without discernible ground rules.

With the hindsight of history, we recognise that the heroic efforts which the women featured in this volume made to overcome the social constraints that held them back from learning about, and participating in, scientific and technical subjects, had a consequence on a much broader canvas. In addition to what they each achieved professionally they contributed within society to a gradual erosion of those barriers raised against the participation of women in academic life, thereby assisting in allowing University places and professional opportunities to gradually become generally available. It is a privilege to salute and thank the wonderful women of the nineteenth century herein described for what they have contributed to the women of today. William Herschel's famous motto quicquid nitet notandum (whatever shinesshould be observed) applies in a particular way to the luminous quality of their individual lives, and those of us who presently observe their shining, as well as those who now wait in the wings of the coming centuries to emerge upon the scene, can each see a little further by their light.