4 credits
22.5 h
Q1
Teacher(s)
Pierrard Viviane;
Language
English
Prerequisites
There are no specific preliminary needs.
Main themes
The Sun:
Stars (formation, diagram of Hertzsprung-Russell, fusion,abundance of elements) - Description of the inner Sun (radiative, convective zones) - The solar atmosphere (photosphere, chromosphere, corona) - Sunspots, solar activity cycle - Solar eruptions (CME, flares, proeminences...)- Coronal holes
Physics of gas and plasmas:
Definitions and properties - Fundamental equations - kinetic and hydrodynamic approaches - Links and differences- Debye Length - Velocity distribution functions - Hydrostatic equilibrium - Hydrodynamic equilibrium
The interplanetary space:
Solar magnetic field - Solar wind - Comets - Application of the fundamental equations for plasmas
The magnetosphere:
Origin of the geomagnetic field - Description of the different regions of plasmas, currents - Magnetopause, polar cusps, plasmasheet, Van Allen belts ...
Movement of the particles in a magnetic field:
Decomposition in 3 superposed movements - Drift forces - Application to the Van Allen belts
Sun-magnetosphere interactions:
Magnetic storms and substorms - Aurora - Space weather - Indexes of geomagnetic activity
Ionosphere:
Sources of ionization - Ionospheric layers - Propagation of radio waves - Refraction index - Perturbations due to the solar activity - Influence on satellites and GPS - Plasmapause formation
Neutral atmosphere:
Temperature profile - Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere - Photodissociation, chemical reactions, ozone
Planetary atmospheres:
Mercury - Venus - Mars - Giant planets - Exoplanets
Stars (formation, diagram of Hertzsprung-Russell, fusion,abundance of elements) - Description of the inner Sun (radiative, convective zones) - The solar atmosphere (photosphere, chromosphere, corona) - Sunspots, solar activity cycle - Solar eruptions (CME, flares, proeminences...)- Coronal holes
Physics of gas and plasmas:
Definitions and properties - Fundamental equations - kinetic and hydrodynamic approaches - Links and differences- Debye Length - Velocity distribution functions - Hydrostatic equilibrium - Hydrodynamic equilibrium
The interplanetary space:
Solar magnetic field - Solar wind - Comets - Application of the fundamental equations for plasmas
The magnetosphere:
Origin of the geomagnetic field - Description of the different regions of plasmas, currents - Magnetopause, polar cusps, plasmasheet, Van Allen belts ...
Movement of the particles in a magnetic field:
Decomposition in 3 superposed movements - Drift forces - Application to the Van Allen belts
Sun-magnetosphere interactions:
Magnetic storms and substorms - Aurora - Space weather - Indexes of geomagnetic activity
Ionosphere:
Sources of ionization - Ionospheric layers - Propagation of radio waves - Refraction index - Perturbations due to the solar activity - Influence on satellites and GPS - Plasmapause formation
Neutral atmosphere:
Temperature profile - Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere - Photodissociation, chemical reactions, ozone
Planetary atmospheres:
Mercury - Venus - Mars - Giant planets - Exoplanets
Aims
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 | This formation is addressed to physicists, engineers, geologists and all scientists interested by this topic. It is particularly useful for the students in the option Physics of the Earth |
The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.
Content
The goal of this formation is to give to the students an overvieuw of the physical properties of the planetary and stellar atmospheres. The influence of the Sun on the terrestrial atmosphere and the space environment of the Earth are discribed in detail. The lecture give also the physical approaches used to describe the gas and plasmas when the collisions decrease with altitude.
Evaluation methods
The evaluation is obtained by a written exam.
In addition, volunteer students can make an oral personal presentation on a topic concerning the physics of high atmosphere and space that will be counted as ¼ for the global evaluation.
In addition, volunteer students can make an oral personal presentation on a topic concerning the physics of high atmosphere and space that will be counted as ¼ for the global evaluation.
Other information
This formation is addressed to physicists, engineers, geologists and any students by this topic. It is particulary useful for the students in the option Physics of the Earth, Space and Climate. There are no specific preliminary needs.
Bibliography
Pierrard V., L'environnement spatial de la Terre, Presses Universitaires de Louvain, 214 p., 2010.
Faculty or entity
PHYS
