029:235 Space and Astrophysical Plasmas
General Course Information
| Professor | Gregory Howes |
| Office | 505 Van Allen Hall |
| Phone | (319) 335-1221 |
| gregory-howes {at} uiowa dot edu | |
| Office Hours | Tuesday 1:30-3:30pm Wednesday 2-3pm or by appointment |
| Catalog Description | This course covers the fundamentals of the dynamics and evolution of space and astrophysical plasma environments, including the structure of the heliosphere and planetary magnetospheres, structure of accretion disks, solar and stellar winds, and galaxy clusters. Waves, shocks, and turbulence will be explored, focusing on their influence on the evolution of the plasma environment. No prerequisites (the basics of the background plasma physics will be covered in this course), but 029:194 and 029:195 are recommended. |
| Meeting | Tuesday and Thursday 12:15 pm - 1:30 pm, 618 Van Allen Hall |
| Textbook | No required texts, but I suggest you purchase one of the recommended texts below: 1. Margaret G. Kivelson and Christopher T. Russell, Introduction to Space Physics 2. Frank H. Shu, The Physics of Astrophysics, Volume II: Gas Dynamics |
| Grading | Homework: 75% Final Project: 25% |
| Topics | 1. Fundamental Plasma Physics Concepts (Single Particle Motion, MHD) (3 weeks) 2. Magnetospheric Physics (Structure and Dynamics) (5 weeks) 3. Heliospheric Physics (Structure and Dynamics) (2 weeks) 4. Astrophysical Systems (Accretion Disks, Galaxy Clusters, Supernova Remnants) (5 weeks) 5. Plasma Physics Phenomena (Shocks, Reconnection, Turbulence, Instabilities) (throughout) |