Ionospheres

Abstract

The succinct title of this book belies a great breadth of discussion and detail regarding not only ionospheres themselves but all those physical and chemical processes upon which their characteristics, dynamics and energetics depend. After a descriptive scene-setting first two chapters introducing solar system neutral and ionised atmospheres, it moves rapidly and comprehensively into the mathematics of the underlying mechanisms such as plasma distribution functions, collisional processes, 13-moment transport equations, diffusion and shocks. This requires the reader to have good graduate-level agility in mathematics and, although it is written in a logical and lucid fashion, this may deter readers with less experience. Conversely, it will be welcome reference material for those whose work is in plasma and space physics and for whom such material is essential and yet difficult to come by in a single publication. There follows, amongst many other things, an extensive discussion of influences. Such is the authors' determination to provide a complete toolkit for understanding how ionospheres are formed, their energy sources and sinks and their coupling to the planetary atmosphere, that the first real mention of the layers of the Earth's ionosphere does not appear until over half-way through the book. It does not dwell on the Earth's ionosphere for a disproportionate time, however, but treats it with commensurate weight to the ionospheres of the other planets, of their satellites and of comets. Therefore, this is not, in my view, a book for those who are looking for a comprehensive treatise on the Earth's ionosphere and its phenomenology; there are several of those already in print. Instead, this publication stands apart as taking a generic look at ionospheres from first principles. In addition, whereas others often look at the Earth's ionosphere from a geocentric perspective, this work takes a more global view as if looking on the system from outside the planet. It should prove excellent both as a tutorial for postgraduate or specialist final-year students and as a reference book for atmospheric scientists and plasma physicists. Its value for students is greatly enhanced by the problems set at the end of most chapters and by its extensive appendices which provide fundamental mathematical equations and model parameters, etc. The set problems, however, are predominantly numerical or formulaic derivations and are excluded from the more descriptive chapters (e.g. Space Environment, Measurement Techniques); therefore the student appears to be asked to test their mathematical ability more than their philosophical understanding. On the other hand, many of the mathematical problems would suit plasma physics students with little direct interest in ionospheres. The final chapter on ionospheric measurement techniques seems a little superfluous and patchy but the general references supplied should be able to satiate whetted appetites. Ionospheres is a book which I anticipate will appear as a standard on bookshelves both in research laboratories and university libraries. The combined sixty-five years of experience of the two authors at the cutting-edge of this topic area should certainly provide a sound and reliable knowledge-base for dedicated students and academics alike. Dr M J Jarvis Geospace-Atmosphere Transfer Functions, British Antartic Survey, Madingly Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET