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Zusatztext 'Burlaga blends his detailed understanding of the observations with both standard plasma theory and modern concepts from nonlinear dynamics, turbulence theory and other fields. The mix is almost always satisfactory, and sometimes it is much more... the multifractal presentation is clear and may be useful to nonlinear-dynamics theorists in developing more detailed models... this book will be a valuable and stimulating guide for advanced graduate students and researchers who want to enter space physics or who want a concise discussion of the highly relevant topics that the book covers... Burlaga's blend of concept and experimental reality is a needed step along the way.' Physics Today September 1996 Klappentext This book is an overview of these insights from space missions! using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows as the framework for interpreting objects and processes observed in the interplanetary medium. Students and researchers in astrophysics will value the data from these missions. Zusammenfassung Spacecraft have explored the interplanetary medium between the orbits of Mercury and Pluto, revealing the exotic and beautiful nature of the environment of our planet and sun. This book summarizes the principle results of these historic expeditions. Magnetohydrodynamics provides the framework for interpreting the observations, and the observations have greatly enriched the subject of magnetohydrodynamics. Numerous figures in the book illustrate the essential observations and fundamental concepts. Simple equations summarize basic physical and phenomenological relations observed in the interplanetary medium. Fundamental objects observed in the interplanetary medium include various types of MHD shocks, tangenital and rotational discontinuities, and force-free field configurations. Fundamental processes observed in the interplanetary medium include the interaction among shocks (which can be classified using catastrophic theory), the formation of merged interaction region regions associated with various types of flows, the destruction of flows, the growth of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and formation of a heliospheric vortex street, the development of multifractal fluctuations on various scales, and the evolution of multifractal intermittent turbulence. These physical objects and processes are of fundamental interest in themselves. The knowledge about them derived from interplanetary investigations has applications to magnetospheric physics, solar physics, cosmic ray physics and astrophysics. The book contains an extensive set of reference that gives the readers access to the detailed results in the literature....
