Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium

Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309165563
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description
This report is the summary of a workshop held in May 2003 by the Space Studies Board's Committee on Solar and Space Physics to synthesize understanding of the physics of the outer heliosphere and the critical role played by the local interstellar medium (LISM) and to identify directions for the further exploration of this challenging environment.

Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium

Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309165563
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description
This report is the summary of a workshop held in May 2003 by the Space Studies Board's Committee on Solar and Space Physics to synthesize understanding of the physics of the outer heliosphere and the critical role played by the local interstellar medium (LISM) and to identify directions for the further exploration of this challenging environment.

The Heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium

The Heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium PDF Author: John D. Richardson
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789402422283
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"The Heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium", the Proceedings of the First ISSI Workshop 6-10 November 1995, Bern, Switzerland, edited by R. von Steiger, R. Lallement, and M.A. Lee and published in 1996, was the first International Space Science Institute (ISSI) book in the Space Sciences Series. This book covers the knowledge gained in the subsequent 27 years that revolutionized our understanding of the interaction of the heliosphere with the very local interstellar medium (VLISM). Entirely new regions of space have been explored! The Voyagers both crossed the termination shock, passed through the heliosheath, crossed the heliopause, and entered the interstellar medium. New Horizons was launched with more modern instrumentation and explores low-latitude regions of the outer heliosphere. Energetic neutral atoms observed by IBEX and CASSINI allowed exploration of the heliosphere over the whole sky. The initial reconnaissance of the heliosphere and VLISM is complete with in situ measurements, observations of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), neutral VLISM H and He, UV emissions, and interstellar dust. This book is a collection reviews from experts in the many aspects of this field that describe the current state of knowledge of the heliosphere’s interaction with the interstellar medium, puzzles yet to be solved, and future plans to continue these studies.

The Heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium

The Heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium PDF Author: Rudolf von Steiger
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400917821
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
In summary, we can conclude that the contributions of the different ionization processes to the total ionization rate for the most abundant interstellar species are basically known. The ionization of the noble gases He and Ne is almost completely dominated by photoionization, whereas for H charge-exchange with the solar wind is most important. For other species, such as 0 and Ar, both processes contribute significantly. Electron impact ionization can typically contribute by '" 10% to the total rate in the inner Solar System. Because direct measurements of the solar EUV flux are not yet continuously available, the variation of the ionization rate over the solar cycle still contains a relatively large uncertainty. The recent measurements of pickup ion distributions and of the neutral helium gas provide an independent tool to determine the total ionization rate that can be used to cross calibrate with the results obtained for the individual ionization processes. Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to M. Allen for supplying us with new data on photoioniza tion cross-sections compiled by him. We thank also M. Gruntman for drawing our attention to and support in collecting the most recent data on charge-exchange cross-sections. D. R. was supported by grant No. 2 P03C. 004. 09 from the Com mittee for Scientific Research (Poland). This work was also supported in part through NASA contract NAS7-918, NSF Grant INT-911637, NASA Grant NAGW- 2579.

The Outer Heliosphere: The Next Frontiers

The Outer Heliosphere: The Next Frontiers PDF Author: E. Marsch
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 9780080538280
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 542

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Book Description
The eleventh COSPAR colloquium The Outer Heliosphere: The Next Frontiers was held in Potsdam, Germany, from 24-28 July, 2000, and is the second dedicated to this subject after the first one held in Warsaw, Poland in 1989. Roughly a century has passed after the first ideas by Oliver Lodge, George Francis Fitzgerald and Kristan Birkeland about particle clouds emanating from the Sun and interacting with the Earth environment. Only a few decades after the formulation of the concepts of a continuous solar corpuscular radiation by Ludwig Bierman and a solar wind by Eugene Parker, heliospheric physics has evolved into an important branch of astrophysical research. Numerous spacecraft missions have increased the knowledge about the heliosphere tremendously. Now, at the beginning of a new millenium it seems possible, by newly developed propulasion technologies to send a spacecraft beyond the boundaries of the heliosphere. Such an Interstellar Proce will start the in-situ exploration of interstellar space and, thus, can be considered as the first true astrophysical spacecraft. The year 2000 appeared to be a highly welcome occassion to review the achievements since the last COSPAR Colloquia 11 years ago, to summarize the present developments and to give new impulse for future activities in heliospheric research.

From the Outer Heliosphere to the Local Bubble

From the Outer Heliosphere to the Local Bubble PDF Author: J.L. Linsky
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9781441902467
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 478

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Book Description
Knowledge about the outer heliosphere and the interstellar medium, which were long treated as two separate fields, has improved dramatically over the past 25 years as a consequence of recent developments: The discovery of interstellar pickup ions and neutral helium inside the heliosphere, the determination of the interstellar hydrogen distribution in the heliosphere obtained using backscattered solar Lyman-alpha radiation, the prediction and subsequent detection of the hydrogen wall just outside of the heliopause, the development of detailed global models for the interaction of solar wind plasma with the interstellar medium, and most recently, direct in-situ plasma and field measurements inside of the heliosheath. At the same time, our understanding of the nearby galactic environment, including the composition and dynamics of the warm gas clouds and hot gas in the local bubble, has benefited greatly from absorption-line spectroscopy using nearby stars as background sources and dynamic modeling. The present volume provides a synopsis of these developments organised into seven sections: Dominant physical processes in the termination shock and heliosheath, three-dimensional shape and structure of the dynamic heliosphere, relation of the plasmas and dust inside and outside of the heliosphere, origin and properties of the very local interstellar medium, energy and pressure equilibria in the local bubble, physical processes in the multiphase interstellar medium inside of the local bubble, and the roles that magnetic fields play in the outer heliosphere and the local bubble. The last theme is probably the most basic of all as magnetic fields play important roles in most of the phenomena discussed here. The volume concludes with four papers providing the "big picture" by looking at the time evolution of both the heliosphere and the local bubble, looking beyond the local bubble, and finally addressing the challenges in modeling the interface between the two media.

Solar and Space Physics and Its Role in Space Exploration

Solar and Space Physics and Its Role in Space Exploration PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309093252
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 73

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Book Description
In February 2004, the President announced a new goal for NASA; to use humans and robots together to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In response to this initiative, NASA has adopted new exploration goals that depend, in part, on solar physics research. These actions raised questions about how the research agenda recommended by the NRC in its 2002 report, The Sun to the Earth and Beyond, which did not reflect the new exploration goals, would be affected. As a result, NASA requested the NRC to review the role solar and space physics should play in support of the new goals. This report presents the results of that review. It considers solar and space physics both as aspects of scientific exploration and in support of enabling future exploration of the solar system. The report provides a series of recommendations about NASA's Sun-Earth Connections program to enable it to meet both of those goals.

Interstellar Travel

Interstellar Travel PDF Author: Les Johnson
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 032391361X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 314

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Book Description
Interstellar Travel: Purpose and Motivations is a comprehensive, technical look at the necessary considerations for interstellar travel addressed by leading experts in the field, from scientists studying possible destinations (exoplanets) and the vast distances between, to those concerned with building institutions and capabilities in society that could sustain such endeavors. In addition to the technical, medical, and anthropological aspects of deep space travel, the ethics and morality of spreading Earth-based life to other worlds is also examined. In the first book of a three-book compilation, Interstellar Travel: Purpose and Motivations offers in-depth, up-to-date and realistic technical and scientific considerations in the pursuit of interstellar travel and is an integral reference for scientists, engineers, researchers and academics working on, or interested in, space development and space technologies. With a renewed interest in space exploration and development evidenced by the rise of the commercial space sector and various governments now planning to send humans back to the moon and to Mars, so also is interest in taking the next steps beyond the Solar System and to the ultimate destination – planets circling other stars. Features detailed overviews with quantification of the technical challenges and potential benefits of interstellar missions Comprehensively covers the considerations for interstellar travel by the world's recognized leading experts in the field Features referenceable data and analysis for both new and experienced researchers in the interstellar and exoplanets fields

Physics of the Outer Heliosphere

Physics of the Outer Heliosphere PDF Author: Vladimir Florinski
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 452

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Book Description
This volume consists of articles written by leading scientists in the field of heliospheric physics, analyzing the latest spacecraft measurements and theoretical models related to the solar wind interaction with the Local Interstellar Medium. Particular focus is on the puzzling Voyager cosmic-ray and magnetic field data in the vicinity of the termination shock, and their possible theoretical interpretations. The purposes of future spacecraft missions and modeling issues are also discussed. Topics include: global structure of the outer heliosphere; spacecraft measurements: present and future; galactic and anomalous cosmic rays; shock structure, turbulence and kinetic physics; and remote sensing of the distant heliosphere and Local Interstellar Medium.

Generation-to-Generation Communications in Space Physics

Generation-to-Generation Communications in Space Physics PDF Author: Joseph E. Borovsky
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2832525539
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 167

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Book Description


Priorities in Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion

Priorities in Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309180104
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 158

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Book Description
In 2003, NASA began an R&D effort to develop nuclear power and propulsion systems for solar system exploration. This activity, renamed Project Prometheus in 2004, was initiated because of the inherent limitations in photovoltaic and chemical propulsion systems in reaching many solar system objectives. To help determine appropriate missions for a nuclear power and propulsion capability, NASA asked the NRC for an independent assessment of potentially highly meritorious missions that may be enabled if space nuclear systems became operational. This report provides a series of space science objectives and missions that could be so enabled in the period beyond 2015 in the areas of astronomy and astrophysics, solar system exploration, and solar and space physics. It is based on but does not reprioritize the findings of previous NRC decadal surveys in those three areas.