Electric Currents in Geospace and Beyond

Description

Electric currents are fundamental to the structure and dynamics of space plasmas, including our own near-Earth space environment, or “geospace.”This volume takes an integrated approach to the subject of electric currents by incorporating their phenomenology and physics for many regions in one volume. It covers a broad range of topics from the pioneers of electric currents in outer space, to measurement and analysis techniques, and the many types of electric currents.  First volume on electric currents in space in over a decade that provides authoritative up-to-date insight on the current status of research Reviews recent advances in observations, simulation, and theory of electric currents Provides comparative overviews of electric currents in the space environments of different astronomical bodies Electric Currents in Geospace and Beyond serves as an excellent reference volume for a broad community of space scientists, astronomers, and astrophysicists who are studying space plasmas in the solar system. Read an interview with the editors to find out more: https://eos.org/editors-vox/electric-currents-in-outer-space-run-the-show Content: Intro Title Page Table of Contents CONTRIBUTORS PREFACE Part I:: Introduction 1 Pioneers of Electric Currents in Geospace 1.1. INTRODUCTION 1.2. AURORA BOREALIS AND VARIATIONS IN THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD 1.3. TIDAL MOTIONS AND THE DYNAMO THEORY 1.4. THE BIRKELAND-STØRMER CURRENT SYSTEM 1.5. CURRENT SYSTEMS FOR MAGNETIC STORMS 1.6. HANNES ALFVÉN INTRODUCED PLASMA PHYSICS TO MAGNETOSPHERIC RESEARCH 1.7. INTO THE SPACE AGE 1.8. THE RELATION OF THE IONOSPHERIC CONDUCTIVITIES TO THE CURRENTS 1.9. CONCLUSION REFERENCES 2 Current Systems in Planetary Magnetospheres. 2.1. INTRODUCTION2.2. DETERMINING CURRENT STRENGTHS IN OUTER PLANET MAGNETOSPHERES: THE BASICS 2.3. SPACECRAFT MISSIONS TO OUTER PLANETS 2.4. JUPITER 2.5. SATURN 2.6. URANUS 2.7. NEPTUNE 2.8. SUMMARY AND MAJOR QUESTIONS REFERENCES 3 Electric Currents in the Solar Atmosphere 3.1. INTRODUCTION 3.2. MODERN MEASUREMENTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT AT THE PHOTOSPHERE 3.3. MEASUREMENTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT AT THE CHROMOSPHERE 3.4. MODELING OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS IN THE CORONA 3.5. ELECTRIC CURRENT IN A HOT, MULTICOMPONENT PLASMA 3.6. ALFVÉN WAVE ON TOP OF CURRENT-CARRYING MAGNETIC FIELD. 3.7. ELECTRIC CURRENT AND SOLAR FLARES3.8. ORIGIN OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS IN THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE 3.9. CONCLUSIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REFERENCES 4 Multipoint Analysis of Electric Currents in Geospace Using the Curlometer Technique 4.1. INTRODUCTION: CURRENTS IN GEOSPACE 4.2. MULTISPACECRAFT ANALYSIS 4.3. APPLICATIONS 4.4. SUMMARY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REFERENCES 5 Inferring Currents from the Zeeman Effect at the Solar Surface 5.1. INTRODUCTION 5.2. FROM PHOTONS TO CURRENT 5.3. THE EFFECTS OF RESOLUTION ON ESTIMATES OF THE CURRENT 5.4. SUMMARY AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 8 The Nature of Jupiter's Magnetodisk Current System8.1. INTRODUCTION 8.2. GLOBAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE JOVIAN CURRENT DISK 8.3. FORCE-BALANCE MODELS OF THE MAGNETODISK 8.4. MICROSCOPIC NATURE OF THE DISK CURRENT 8.5. SUMMARY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REFERENCES 9 The Ring Current of Saturn 9.1. INTRODUCTION 9.2. EARLY OBSERVATIONS 9.3. THE CASSINI ERA 9.4. CONCLUDING REMARKS AND OPEN QUESTIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REFERENCES Part III:: Current Sheets 10 Review on the Characteristics of the Current Sheet in the Earth's Magnetotail 10.1. INTRODUCTION 10.2. CURRENT SHEET BASICS.