Terrestrial magnetosphere and polar lights

Duration

30h Th, 10h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Benoît Hubert

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course is devoted to the introduction of the mechanisms responsible for the formation of the earth polar aurora. This includes the detailed excitation mechanisms of the aurora as well as the physics of the magnetosphere of the planet.
The fundamental laws of plasma physics are first detailed, so that it is not necessary to have first followed a course specifically devoted to that subject. More advanced topics such as magnetic reconnection and shock waves will be discussed later as needed for the study of the Earth magnetosphere. Excitation mechanisms of both the electron and proton aurora are described, as well as the magnetic substorm.
The solar wind is studied as magnetospheric and auroral phenomena are driven by its interaction with the space environment of the Earth. This interaction produces a shock wave and a boundary layer that surround the planet, and controls the magnetospheric configuration. Auroral phenomena also stem from that interaction and are studied in the last chapter in the framework of the Dungey cycle.
The course will be essentially based on the book of M.G. Kivelson and C.T. Russel, 'Introduction to space physics', completed with a few papers from scientific literature and other books.
Content:
1. Introduction 2. Plasma physics 3. Polar auroras 4. The solar wind 5. Shocks and discontinuities 6. Magnetic reconnection, magnetopause and magnetotail 7. Magnetospheric configuration and the plasmasphere 8. Auroral phenomena 9. Conclusion

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Introduction to the physics of the magnetosphere and of the polar aurora.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Basic physics.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures. Slides are used as a support.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Face-to-face

Recommended or required readings

The slides used during the lectures are made available to the students.

Assessment methods and criteria

A list of questions is made available to the students, to help them organizing the knowledges. Two questions among these ones will be asked during the oral examination, and at least one problem resolution will be asked to the students.

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

B. Hubert
B.Hubert@ulg.ac.be

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