This book presents the physics of magnetic flux tubes, including their fundamental properties and collective phenomena in an ensemble of flux tubes. The physics of magnetic flux tubes is vital for understanding fundamental processes in the solar atmosphere that are shaped and governed by magnetic fields. The concept of magnetic flux tubes is also central to various magnetized media ranging from laboratory plasma and Earth's magnetosphere to planetary, stellar and galactic environments. The book covers both theory and observations. Theoretical models presented in analytical and phenomenological forms that are tailored to practical applications. These are welded together with empirical data extending from the early pioneering observations to the most recent state-of-the-art data. This new edition of the book is updated and contains a significant amount of new material throughout as well as four new chapters and 48 problems with solutions. Most problems make use of original papers containing fundamental results. This way, the original paper, often based on complex theory, turns into a convenient tool for practical use and quantitative analysis.

This book is the first account of the physics of magnetic flux tubes from their fundamental properties to collective phenomena in an ensembles of flux tubes. The physics of magnetic flux tubes is absolutely vital for understanding fundamental physical processes in the solar atmosphere shaped and governed by magnetic fields. High-resolution and high cadence observations from recent space and ground-based instruments taken simultaneously at different heights and temperatures not only show the ubiquity of filamentary structure formation but also allow to study how various events are interconnected by system of magnetic flux tubes. The book covers both theory and observations. Theoretical models presented in analytical and phenomenological forms are tailored for practical applications. These are welded with state-of-the-art observations from early decisive ones to the most recent data that open a new phase-space for exploring the Sun and sun-like stars. Concept of magnetic flux tubes is central to various magnetized media ranging from laboratory plasma and Earth's magnetosphere to planetary, stellar and galactic environments The book is a valuable resource for graduate students, solar physicists, astronomers, laboratory and space plasma physicists, geophysicists, and specialists in gas- and hydrodynamics.

Quantum mechanics dates its anniversaries from 1925, the year when its first versions, matrix and wave mechanics, were born. The quan tum itself had by that time reached the age of 25, having first seen the light of day on the eve of the nativity of the 20th century itself. Either shunned or completely unnoticed, the quantum seemed for a long time to be an illegitimate child. Even Max Planck himself, its own father, could not bring himself to accept his monstrous child until he was forced to do so -that is, until it became clear that the problems which were arising in physics could not be solved without the quantum. At first the quantum "like a greasy stain, soaked through all the different branches of physics" and then, like an explosion, came the creation of quantum mechanics. The overwhelming majority of those who first created quantum mechanics were just about of an age with the quantum itself. These were very young people, born as the new century was born, give or take a year or so. Hence the phrase was coined - "the quantum generation". At that time there was quantum everything - towns, steps, park benches, lodging houses and so, natu rally, the quantum generation.