Title Page -- Indice -- Foreword -- Gruppo fotografico dei partecipanti al Corso fuori testo -- Astrophysical plasmas -- Introduction -- Characteristic parameters -- Plasma models -- Kinetic equations -- Macroscopic fluid equations -- Two-fluid model -- MHD equations -- Ideal MHD equations -- Applicability of a fluid treatment -- Cold plasma equations -- Orbit theory: the strong magnetic field limit -- The plasma-magnetic-field interaction -- Waves in plasmas -- MHD waves -- Waves in the two-fluid model -- No external magnetic field, Omega_e = 0(beta_T = V_T/c) -- Longitudinal magnetic field k||B_0, theta = 0 -- Transverse magnetic field k orthogonal to B_0, theta = pi/2 -- Generic field orientation, cold plasma -- Ion modes -- Plasma instabilities -- MHD instabilities -- Rayleigh-Taylor instability -- Kelvin-Helmholtz instability -- Intrinsically intermittent accretion, anomalous transport of angular momentum and laboratory experiments -- Introduction -- Model configuration -- Experiments on magnetically confined plasmas and relevant modes -- Basic modes of accretion disk model -- Singularities of bending modes and quasi-modes -- Axisymmetric modes and finite plasma temperature -- Intermittent accretion -- Scattering and acceleration of particles in astrophysics. Lecture 1 -- Introduction -- Nonthermal particles in astrophysical and space plasmas -- The energy spectrum -- Galactic cosmic rays -- Solar cosmic rays -- Synchrotron sources -- Resonant scattering -- Wave-particle resonance -- Quasilinear theory -- Pitch-angle diffusion by Alfven waves -- Spatial diffusion -- Acceleration mechanisms -- Fermi mechanisms -- Stochastic acceleration -- Acceleration in neutral sheets and during magnetic reconnection -- Acceleration by parallel electric fields -- Acceleration at shock fronts. Lecture 2 -- Introduction -- Shock waves.

Shocks in unmagnetized plasmas -- MHD shocks -- Shock drift acceleration (SDA) -- The de Hoffmann-Teller frame -- Reflection or transmission -- Maximum energy change -- The foreshock and interplanetary shocks -- Diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) -- Test particle treatment of DSA -- Alternative treatment of DSA -- DSA at multiple shocks -- Discussion of DSA -- Acceleration of the highest energy particles. Lecture 3 -- Introduction -- Acceleration of cosmic rays -- Acceleration of GCRI -- Scattering by a turbulent spectrum of waves -- Time available for acceleration -- Acceleration of GCRII -- Acceleration of extremely high energy electrons -- The effect of synchrotron losses on multiple DSA -- The synchrotron spectrum of M87 -- Multiple-shock acceleration and the M87 jet -- Upper energy cutoff -- Flat synchrotron spectra -- Acceleration of EGCR -- Maximum possible energy in SDA and DSA -- Acceleration of EGCRs in GRBs -- Resistive processes -- Introduction -- Linear and nonlinear theory of resistive instabilities: an introduction -- Conclusions -- Dynamics of perturbations in astrophysical shear flows -- Introduction -- Transformation of waves -- Vortex-wave conversion -- Subcritical transition to turbulence in shear flows -- Transition scenario -- Summary -- The origin of galactic magnetic fields -- Introduction -- Interaction of velocity and magnetic fields -- The galactic disc dynamo -- Small-scale fields -- The protogalactic dynamo -- The Biermann battery -- Conclusion -- Astrophysically relevant collective emission processes in the laboratory -- Introduction -- Energetics and emission -- Variability and coherence -- Coherent synchrotron radiation -- Theory of coherent curvature radiation -- Experiment -- Emission by scattering from strong Langmuir turbulence -- Compton scattering from solitons -- Conclusions.

Nonlinear dynamics in the solar corona -- Introduction -- Evolution of coronal loops -- Dynamics in coronal streamers -- MHD turbulence and coronal heating -- Conclusions -- The Sun, solar wind, and magnetic field. I -- Introduction -- The Ulysses mission -- Background: the homogeneous Sun -- Background: the inhomogeneous Sun -- Ulysses observations of the Sun, solar wind and magnetic field in 3D -- Summary -- The heliosphere and beyond. II -- Introduction -- The heliosphere -- Interstellar matter inside and outside the heliosphere -- Galactic cosmic rays -- Anomalous cosmic rays -- Brief summary of other important Ulysses results -- The coronal plasma -- Introduction -- The solar corona -- Diagnostics of the coronal plasma: disk observations -- Diagnostics of the coronal plasma: extended corona -- Density -- Ion temperatures -- Electron temperature -- Outflow velocities -- Line-of-sight bulk velocities -- Abundances -- Magnetic field -- Transition region and low corona -- Density and temperature structure -- Abundances and FIP effect -- Extended corona: coronal holes -- Density -- Electron temperature -- Ion temperatures -- Outflow velocities -- Abundances -- Extended corona: streamers -- Morphology -- Density -- Electron temperature -- Ion temperatures -- Outflow velocities -- Abundances -- Solar wind -- Fast wind -- Slow wind -- Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) -- Conclusions -- Plasma microstructure in the solar wind -- Introduction -- Magnetic decreases -- Cross-field diffusion -- Solar/interplanetary plasma phenomena causing geomagnetic activity at Earth -- Introduction -- Magnetic reconnection -- Particle motions, plasma instabilities -- Magnetic storms -- Substorms -- Geomagnetic quiet -- Dayside aurora -- Collisionless astrophysical reconnection -- Introduction -- Fluid approach -- Kinetic reconnection -- The necessity of a kinetic approach.

Formation and instability of thin current sheets -- Transition to reconnection -- 3D reconnection. General constraints -- Magnetostatic limit. Magnetic nulls -- Kinematic fluid approach. Finite-B-reconnection -- Summary -- The origins of stellar magnetic fields -- Introduction -- How do we know that stars are magnetized? -- How are stellar magnetic fields detected? -- What types of stars are magnetic? -- Properties of stellar magnetic fields -- Ubiquity -- Field strengths, filling factors, and geometry -- Activity-stellar properties correlation -- Activity-magnetic field correlation -- Cycle period-rotation period correlation -- Theory -- What is a magnetic dynamo? -- Type of dynamos -- The simplest "kinematic" linear dynamo theory -- The "Solar-Stellar Connection" scenario -- The role of numerical computations -- The major puzzles -- Why do simple models well describe the large-scale behavior, or How does the large-scale solar dynamo work? -- Dynamo and activity "saturation -- What happens at the end of the main sequence? -- Gamma-ray bursts -- Introduction -- Recent discoveries -- Burst energies and luminosities -- Burst models -- Afterglow models -- The GRB-supernova connection -- Detectability of GRBs and their afterglows at very high redshifts -- GRBs as a probe of the very high redshift universe -- Conclusions -- X-ray bursts -- Introduction -- Summary of observations -- Thermonuclear flash model of X-ray bursts -- Qualitative picture -- Global analysis of X-ray burst behavior -- Nuclear fuel surface -- Ignition surface -- Calculations of individual bursts -- Effect of strong magnetic fields -- Brightness oscillations in X-ray bursts -- Propagation of nuclear burning -- Weak and strong field models -- Evidence in favor of the strong field model -- Two-dimensional simulations of helium detonation -- Conduction wave model of double X-ray bursts.

Conclusions -- Gravitational plasmas -- Introduction -- The Jeans instability -- Building a collisionless stellar system -- Variations on a theme by Jeans -- The Jeans instability in a rotating disk -- A more general dispersion relation -- Galaxy disks as disks of stars and gas -- Self-regulation -- Modal theory of spiral structure in galaxies -- Self-gravitating (self-regulated) accretion disks -- A story of geometry, partial relaxation, evolution -- Classical isothermal solutions -- Truncated quasi-Maxwellian models -- Incomplete violent relaxation from collisionless collapse -- Evolution along equilibrium sequences -- Radiation and reconnection in active galactic nuclei -- Introduction -- Nonthermal radiation processes -- Synchrotron radiation -- Polarization and Faraday rotation -- Absorption of synchrotron radiation -- Inverse Compton scattering -- Pair production -- Relativistic bulk motion -- Magnetic activity in galactic nuclei -- Inertia-driven reconnection in AGN -- Some final remarks -- Active galactic nuclei. Accretion disks and jets. I -- Introduction -- Observations of AGNs -- Seyfert galaxies -- Radio galaxies -- Quasars and QSOs -- Other classes of AGNs -- Physical parameters -- Unified model of AGNs -- Search for an energy source -- AGNs and supermassive black holes (SMBH) -- Fuelling black holes: accretion power -- Eddington limit -- Accretion flows -- Generalities on accretion disks -- The physics of accretion -- Spherical accretion -- Thin accretion disks -- Optically thin accretion disks -- Advection-Dominated Accretion Flows: ADAF solutions -- The viscosity problem -- Active galactic nuclei. Accretion disks and jets. II -- Introduction -- Unified models for AGNs -- Launching jets from accretion disks -- Hydrodynamic jets -- Magnetohydrodynamic jets -- Relativistic winds -- Jets from black-hole magnetospheres.

ADIOS (Advection-Dominated Inflow-Outflow Solutions).

This book illustrates new developments in the fields of space and solar physics, stellar physics, extragalactic physics and cosmology. It also elaborates upon the progress of laboratory plasma physics. One of the topics discussed is the existence of collective processes, both linear and non-linear, that can explain key elements of accretion physics, magnetic reconnection, the formation of 'strange' particle distributions, particle scattering phenomena, etc. Astrophysical plasma are dominated by turbulent or quasi-turbulent processes which interactively associate instabilities, radiation processes and plasma-wave scattering. The resulting scenario, which is outside thermodynamics and conventional statistical physics, is too difficult to describe theoretically, but today there are large-scale experiments and powerful computational tools allowing for the exploration of an almost similarly complex variety of phenomena. Several contributions to this book present indications of the influence of nonlinear phenomena in astrophysical applications. This work marks the fast growth of plasma astrophysics thanks to new observations in the high energy band of the spectrum on the one hand and the possibility of validating and bringing to light relevant new theories by increasingly sophisticated machines on the other.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.