Magnetic Reconnection: MHD Theory and Applications

Magnetic reconnection is at the core of many dynamic phenomena in the universe, such as solar flares, geomagnetic substorms and tokamak disruptions. Written by two world leaders on the subject, this volume provides a comprehensive overview of this fundamental process. Coverage gives both a pedagogical account of the basic theory and a wide-ranging review of the physical phenomena created by reconnection--from laboratory machines, the Earth's magnetosphere, and the Sun's atmosphere to flare stars and astrophysical accretion disks. It also includes a succinct account of particle acceleration by electric fields, stochastic fields and shock waves, and how reconnection can be important in these mechanisms. Clearly written and highly accessible, this volume serves as an essential introduction for graduate students in solar physics, astrophysics, plasma physics and space science. Researchers in these fields also will find Magnetic Reconnection an authoritative reference.

Magnetic reconnection is at the core of many dynamic phenomena in the universe. This authoritative volume, written by two world leaders on the subject, gives the first comprehensive overview of this fundamental process. It provides a pedagogical introduction to the theory, and a wide-ranging review of its applications--from laboratory machines, the Earth's magnetosphere, and the Sun's atmosphere to flare stars and astrophysical accretion disks. The clear and pedagogical style makes this book an essential introduction for graduate students and an authoritative reference for researchers in solar physics, astrophysics, plasma physics and space science.