Cosmic Perspectives in Space Physics

Book excerpt: A textbook for a graduate and senior undergraduate course of one or two semesters introducing the physics and astrophysics in space. Biswas, (formerly Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay) expects students to be familiar with introductory physics including general physics, classical mechanics and electrodynamics, the special theory of relativity, and some introductory astronomy. He covers the elements of space research; the magnetosphere of the earth; the sun and the heliosphere; the moon and the planets; comets, meteorites, and the origin of the Solar System; solar energetic particles; galactic cosmic rays; space astrophysics; and the interstellar medium. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR