Special lecture at HY in autumn 2011:
Ionospheric Physics (5 op / ECTS cr)
Time: 19.01.
- 04.03. 2011, Wed 14-16, Fri 14-16
Place:
Physicum, room D104
Lecturer:
Dos. Olaf Amm
General overview:
The ionosphere is the uppermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere where
phenomena like the aurora occur, and the amount of ionisation allows
electric currents to flow. This lecture gives an introduction to the
physics of the Earth's ionosphere, and a more detailed treatment of
some
aspects of its electrodynamics. While ionospheres of other planets are
not explicitly treated, most of the formalisms presented can directly
be
applied also for extraterrestrial ionospheres.
Requirements for the lecture are the basic courses in mechanics and
electromagnetics. It is designed to be suitable also for students
without any knowledge of Space Physics in advance.
List of topics:
0 Historical remarks; Brief abstract of
solar-terrestrial physics
1 The neutral high-altitude atmosphere
2 Sources of ionisation: Solar radiation, particle
precipitation
3 The ionosphere
3.1 Basic ionospheric observations
and topology
3.2 Ionisation and recombination
processes
3.3 Chapman theory of ionospheric
layers
3.4 Diffusion of a plasma
4 Radio wave propagation in the ionosphere, and the
ionosonde
5 Currents in the ionosphere
5.1 Single charged particles in a
uniform electric and magnetic field
5.2 Drifts and Ohm's law in the
ionosphere
5.3 Height-integrated
conductivities, polarisation effects, layer conductances
5.4 Thermospheric neutral winds
and the dynamo effect
5.5 Heating of the ionosphere and
energy flux
5.6 Equivalent currents
6 Morphology of electric fields, conductances and
currents at high latitudes
Dos. Olaf Amm
phone: (09) 1929-4689
FAX: (09)
1929-4603
Email:
Olaf.Amm@fmi.fi