Bøker i Space Sciences Series of ISSI-serien

The review papers in this volume provide an in-depth examination of complex astrophysical phenomena of star formation via multi-wavelength observations and modeling. Among the fundamental issues discussed in the book are: The role of gravity and magnetized turbulence in the formation and evolution of molecular cloudsThe stellar feedback (supernovae, HII regions, winds, cosmic rays) in regulating star formation The origin of the stellar initial mass function and its universality across various environments Jets, magnetic fields and high energy particles in stellar clustersThe origin of the first stars and black holesThe goal of these papers is to review the major processes governing star formation and to investigate how they are interlinked. In doing so, they provide an in-depth look at the tremendous theoretical and observational progress that has been made in the recent past and also outline future perspectives.Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Star Formation¿

The book presents a broad and in-depth overview of recent achievements and the current state of research in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oscillatory and wave phenomena in the coronae of the Sun and stars. Major progress in coronal wave studies has been achieved thanks to the combination of high-precision multi-wavelength observations with spaceborne and ground-based facilities, elaborated theory of the interaction of MHD waves with plasma non-uniformities, state-of-the-art numerical simulations, and novel data analysis techniques. It has allowed the research community to reach a new look at the role played by MHD wave processes in the enigmatic phenomena of coronal plasma heating and wind acceleration as well as powerful energy releases such as flares and coronal mass ejections. In addition, the waves are intensively used as natural probes in the remote diagnostics of the coronal plasma parameters and physical processes operating in solar and stellar coronae via the method of MHD seismology. Individual chapters cover recent cutting-edge results obtained on the analysis and theoretical modelling of several most intensively studied coronal MHD wave phenomena, namely, kink and sausage oscillations of coronal loops and other field-aligned plasma structures, plus running and standing slow magnetoacoustic waves. A dedicated chapter assesses the reliability of proposed theoretical mechanisms for heating of the coronal plasma by MHD waves. Another chapter summarizes the current state of our understanding of the physical mechanisms and observational properties of quasi-periodic pulsations in solar flares, considers their analogy with similar processes detected in stellar flares, and thus establishes solid ground for the further exploitation of the solar-stellar analogy. An important discussion of novel data analysis techniques designed recently for MHD seismology applications is presented in a devoted chapter. The direction of future advances in the designated research areas are discussed.The book is a spin-off from the Topical Collection "Oscillatory Processes in Solar and Stellar Coronae" of the journal Space Science Reviews.

"The Heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium", the Proceedings of the First ISSI Workshop 6-10 November 1995, Bern, Switzerland, edited by R. von Steiger, R. Lallement, and M.A. Lee and published in 1996, was the first International Space Science Institute (ISSI) book in the Space Sciences Series. This book covers the knowledge gained in the subsequent 27 years that revolutionized our understanding of the interaction of the heliosphere with the very local interstellar medium (VLISM). Entirely new regions of space have been explored! The Voyagers both crossed the termination shock, passed through the heliosheath, crossed the heliopause, and entered the interstellar medium. New Horizons was launched with more modern instrumentation and explores low-latitude regions of the outer heliosphere. Energetic neutral atoms observed by IBEX and CASSINI allowed exploration of the heliosphere over the whole sky. The initial reconnaissance of the heliosphere and VLISM is complete with in situmeasurements, observations of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), neutral VLISM H and He, UV emissions, and interstellar dust.This book is a collection reviews from experts in the many aspects of this field that describe the current state of knowledge of the heliosphere¿s interaction with the interstellar medium, puzzles yet to be solved, and future plans to continue these studies.

The outcome of this endeavor is an interdisciplinary compendium with a unified perspective on cosmic dust science. Originally published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Cosmic Dust from the Laboratory to the Stars"

The Sentinel missions of the COPERNICUS Programme of the European Union, as well as other Earth Observation missions, provide new opportunities for systematic monitoring of natural and man-made hazards and disasters that can highly impact human societies.The contributions collected in this book address a broad range of geohazards observable from space, including earthquakes, volcanic hazards, extreme events (e.g. storm surges, floods and droughts), fires, pollution, tipping points in physical and biological systems, etc.. They provide information on how space observations can improve our understanding of the driving mechanisms at the origin of such geohazards, and of their mutual interactions. Focus is given on the expected added-value information obtained by combining different types of space-based and in situ observations as well as model results.The chapters "Space-Based Earth Observations for Disaster Risk Management", "Earth Observation for theAssessment of Earthquake Hazard, Risk and Disaster Management", "Earth Observation for Crustal Tectonics and Earthquake Hazards", "Earth Observations for Monitoring Marine Coastal Hazards and Their Drivers", "Air Pollution and Sea Pollution Seen from Space" are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.Previously published in Surveys in Geophysics, Volume 41, Issue 6, 2020

This volume provides an overview of the fast-developing field of tidal disruption events. For several decades, astronomers speculated that a hapless star could wander too close to a massive black hole and be torn apart by tidal forces. Yet it is only with the recent advent of wide-field transient surveys that such events have been detected.Written by a team of prominent researchers, the chapters detail the discoveries made so far in this burgeoning field of study across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma-rays through X-rays, ultra-violet, optical, infrared, and radio. In addition, they show how tidal disruption events can be used to study the properties of otherwise undetectable supermassive black holes; the populations and dynamics of stars in galactic nuclei; the physics of black hole accretion, including the potential to detect relativistic effects near a SMBH; and the physics of (radio) jet formation and evolution in a pristine environment.Finally,the book outlines important outstanding questions about TDEs. With more than 100 color images, the volume will be useful to researchers and others interested in learning more about this promising area of astrophysics.Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection ¿The Tidal Disruption of Stars by Massive Black Holes¿

This volume takes an interdisciplinary approach to the evolution of terrestrial planets, addressing the topic from the perspectives of planetary sciences, geochemistry, geophysics and biology, and solar and astrophysics.The review papers analyze the chemical, isotopic and elemental evolution of the early Solar System, with specific emphasis on Venus, Earth, and Mars. They discuss how these factors contribute to our understanding of accretion timescales, volatile delivery, the origin of the Moon and the evolution of atmospheres and water inventories of terrestrial planets. Also explored are plate tectonic formation, the origin of nitrogen atmospheres and the prospects for exoplanet habitability.The papers are forward-looking as well, considering the importance of future space missions for understanding terrestrial planet evolution in the Solar System and beyond. Overall, this volume shall be useful for academic and professional audiences across a range of scientific disciplines.Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Reading Terrestrial Planet Evolution in Isotopes and Element Measurements"

This book provides an in-depth review of all aspects of space weather. Written by world-leading experts, these sixteen review papers cover everything from space weather's origin on the Sun and its propagation in interplanetary space to its impact on the Earth and other solar system bodies. The history of space weather and even events with anthropogenic origin are also covered. Thus, the volume serves as both a comprehensive reference for researchers and a starting point for graduate students.Originally published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "The Scientific Foundation of Space Weather"

Proceedings of an ISSI Workshop, 6-13 June 1998, Bern, Switzerland

In the past 50 years, our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Solar System has grown exponentially, in large part due to the availability of meteorites and the success of sample return missions.

This volume presents a broad overview of the requirements, capabilities, challenges and future directions of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy to explore the Earth¿s surface for a range of application domains. These include mine exploration, soil mapping, vegetation monitoring, mapping of pollution and hazardous materials, inland and coastal water monitoring, urban applications and others. Imaging spectroscopy, also often termed hyperspectral remote sensing, for terrestrial Earth observation dates back to the 1980s, when the first spectrometers observing in the visible to shortwave infrared wavelength range were deployed on airborne platforms. From the end of the 1990s onwards, spaceborne hyperspectral missions have demonstrated the capability to provide information on the composition and biochemical and physical characteristics of the Earth¿s surface. Today, several hyperspectral spaceborne missions are under development to be launched within the next few years. It can be expectedthat future global and frequent coverage of the Earth¿s surface with spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data will bring a major advance in the information depth that future Earth system models and monitoring service developments can be based on. Previously published in Surveys in Geophysics, Volume 40, Issue 3, 2019The chapters "Imaging Spectrometry of Inland and Coastal Waters: State of the Art, Achievements and Perspectives", "Imaging Spectroscopy for the Detection, Assessment and Monitoring of Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards", "Assessing Vegetation Function with Imaging Spectroscopy", "Spaceborne Imaging Spectroscopy for Sustainable Agriculture: Contributions and Challenges" are available as open access articles under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com.

Clusters of galaxies are large assemblies of galaxies, hot gas and dark matter bound together by gravity.

Readers will find grouped together here the most recent observations, current theoretical models and present understanding of the coupled atmosphere, magnetosphere and solar wind system. The second chapter characterizes the solar wind interaction and auroral responses to solar wind driven dynamics.

This volume summarizes the recent results of the exploration of Venus, Mars and Titan in the field of space plasma physics. This volume is aimed at graduate students and researchers working in planetary science and space physics. Previously published in Space Science Reviews journal, Vol.

Proceedings of an ISSI Workshop, 26-30 January 1998, Bern, Switzerland

Proceedings of an ISSI Workshop, 14-18 September 1998, Bern, Switzerland

This book provides an updated overview of the processes determining the influence of solar forcing on climate. It discusses in particular the most recent developments regarding the role of aerosols in the climate system and the new insights that could be gained from the investigation of terrestrial climate analogues.

Over the last fifteen years, space-based exploration of the solar system has increased dramatically, with more and more sophisticated orbiters and landers being sent to Mars. This intense period, rich in unprecedented scientific results, has led to immense progress in our perception of Mars and of its evolution over geological time. In parallel, advances in numerical simulations and laboratory experiments also shed new light on the geochemical evolution of the planet Mars. The ISSI-Europlanet Workshop entitled "Quantifying the Martian Geochemical Reservoirs" was held in Bern in April 2011 with the objective to create a diverse interdisciplinary forum composed of scientists directly involved in space-based exploration of the Martian surface, meteoriticists studying SNC meteorites, and planetary and/or Earth scientists simulating, numerically or experimentally, the physical and chemical processes occurring on or within Mars. The chapters of this book provide an overview of current knowledge of the past and present Martian geochemical reservoirs, from the accretionary history to the secondary alteration processes at the surface. In addition to the detailed description of data from Mars and the methods used to obtain them, the contributions also emphasize comparison with features on Earth, providing a perspective on the extent to which our knowledge of terrestrial systems influences interpretation of data from Mars. Areas that would benefit from future work and measurements are also identified, providing a view of the short-term and long-term future of the study of Mars.This collection of chapters constitutes a timely perspective on current knowledge and thinking concerning the geochemical evolution of Mars, providing context and a valuable reference point for even more exciting future discoveries. It is aimed at graduate students and researchers active in geochemistry and space science. Previously published in Space Science Reviews, Vol. 174/1-4, 2013.

Proceedings from the ISSI Workshops, 17-20 September 1996 and 10-14 March 1997, Bern, Switzerland