Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora [Paperback]

This book describes the history of the progress made in auroral science and magnetospheric physics by providing examples of ideas, controversies, struggles, acceptance, and success in some instances. The author, a distinguished auroral scientist, fully describes his experiences in characterizing and explaining auroral phenomena. The volume also includes beautiful full-color photos of the aurora.

Prominent progress in science is inevitably associated with controversies. Thus, young researchers, in particular, have to learn how to persevere during the period of controversy and struggle for acceptance. Unfortunately, the skills needed are not taught in textbooks or monographs, which mostly describe the consensus of contemporary experts.

This book, which is based on my own experiences as a scientist, describes the history of the progress made in auroral science and magnetospheric physics by providing examples of ideas, controversies, struggles, acceptance, and success in some instances.

Although no general methodology (if any exists) is mentioned, I hope that the reader will learn about the history of progress in auroral science and examples (right or wrong) of dealing with the controversies.

Search for the Unknown Quantity in the Solar Wind.- Confronting Paradigms: Aurora Research During the Early Space Age.- Realizing the Dream of Our Pioneers: Polar Magnetic Substorms and the Associated Current System.- Synthesis of Magnetospheric Substorm Phenomena.- Planetary Magnetic Fields: Is the Earths Dipole Really Off-Centered and Inclined?.- Recurrent Geomagnetic Disturbances and the Solar Wind.- Myth of the Emerging Flux Tubes: Sunspots and Solar Flares.- Space Weather Research.- Beyond the Inner Heliosphere: The Magnetic Field Structure of the Outer Heliosphere: A Three-Dimensional Model.

From the reviews of the second edition:

Probably the book's most valuable contributionl³