Syllabus
Prerequisites: permission
of instructor
Credits: 3
Date: Tuesday
Time:
Place: Research
Building 302
Instructors:
Dr. Jie Zhang
Office: RB1 – 351 Phone: (703)993-1998 E-mail:
jzhang7@gmu.edu
Office Hour: by
appointment
Class URL:
http://solar.gmu.edu/teaching/CSI662_2007/index.html
Description:
Space Weather is a new field of
science that studies the space environment driven by the interaction between
the Sun and the Earth. Space Weather can adversely affect humans and human
technology, including astronauts, satellites (systems and orbits),
communications and navigation, electric power grids, and pipelines. This
course begins with an overview of the space weather systems involving the Sun,
Heliosphere, Magnetosphere and Ionosphere. It presents the basic structure of the
Sun, the solar magnetic field and configuration, the physical bases of flares
and coronal mass ejections, and particle acceleration mechanisms. It describes
the physics controlling the formation and dynamics of the solar wind and
interplanetary magnetic field. The physical processes that govern the
magnetosphere’s behavior and its interaction with the atmosphere are
covered. These include electric fields and particle acceleration that can
produce geomagnetic storms. The fundamental equations of state that dictate
atmospheric equilibrium and the creation of the ionosphere will be
presented. Basic processes include neutral gas dynamics, ionospheric motions,
and photochemical processes. The space weather effects on radio wave
propagation and spacecraft operation are discussed
This introductory course is intended for graduate students and senior-level undergraduate students with academic background in introductory physics.
Content:
Homework
4-6 homework
Project:
There is one comprehensive
end-to-end space weather project, which should address the whole chain activity
throughout the Sun, heliosphere, magnetosphere and ionosphere. This project may
consists of several phases.
Exams: one midterm and final
Grades:
Homework (25%), Project (30%), Midterm (15%), Final Exam (30%)
Text Book (required):
“Introduction to Space Environment”, Thomas F. Tascione, 1994,
Krieger Publishing Company (ISBN: 0-89464-044-5)
Supplement Reference Books:
“Physics of the Solar
“Physics of Space Environment”,
“Physics of the Earth’s Space
Environment”, Gerd W. Prölss,
2002, Springer (ISBN: 3-540-21426-7)