Reviews

Abstract

Is the preface the author says, “The reader toward whom this book is specifically directed is the space scientist or engineer who is not a specialist in solar physics, but whose work requires a fairly detailed knowledge of the corona. It is my hope, however, that the material will also prove useful to most graduate students in astrophysics, and that my colleagues in solar physics may also find some topics of interest and value to them.” After reading through the book it is this reviewer's opinion that the author's appraisal is accurate. The volume is a concise text on the history, the observational instruments, methods, and conclusions (including observations of the solar X rays, ultraviolet, wind, and the energetic solar particles from balloons and space vehicles) and the theoretical conclusions that have been reached concerning the nature, the origin, and the effects of the solar corona. The book can be read and understood is its entirety by a first‐year graduate student in physics and, with the possible exception of some sections on electromagnetic radiation and quantum mechanics, by an undergraduate. The explanations are generally complete and do not assume prior specialized knowledge.