Physics of Space Plasmas

In its inaugural edition, "Physics of Space Plasmas" was the most widely used textbook for courses in space plasma physics, and included up-to-date observations from space available at the time. Throughout universities in the United States and abroad-it has proven itself indispensable. In the more than ten years since, an amazing number of new space plasma observations have been made. These more recent observations have revealed new and exciting information about space plasma. Now, incorporating new information from several NASA and ESA space missions, the completely revised second edition is expanded to include kinetic physics so that kinetic features in the plasma data can be explained more clearly. In addition, Parks now includes a clear and simple discussion of how electromagnetic fields behave in rotating frames. This thoroughly revised second edition retains the thoughtful examples and problems of the first edition and expands to include new examples, problem sets, schematic diagrams, and images that complement the new material.