The Heliosphere through the Solar Activity Cycle [Hardcover]

Understanding how the Sun changes though its 11-year sunspot cycle and how these changes affect the vast space around the Sun  the heliosphere  has been one of the principal objectives of space research since the advent of the space age. This book presents the evolution of the heliosphere through an entire solar activity cycle. The last solar cycle (cycle 23) has been the best observed from both the Earth and from a fleet of spacecraft. Of these, the joint ESA-NASA Ulysses probe has provided continuous observations of the state of the heliosphere since 1990 from a unique vantage point, that of a nearly polar orbit around the Sun. Ulysses results affect our understanding of the heliosphere from the interior of the Sun to the interstellar medium - beyond the outer boundary of the heliosphere. Written by scientists closely associated with the Ulysses mission, the book describes and explains the many different aspects of changes in the heliosphere in response to solar activity. In particular, the authors describe the rise in solar activity from the last minimum in solar activity in 1996 to its maximum in 2000 and the subsequent decline in activity.

The heliosphere: Its origin and exploration.- Solar cycle 23.- The solar wind throughout the solar cycle.- The global heliospheric magnetic field.- Heliospheric energetic particle variations.- Galactic and anomalous cosmic rays through the solar cycle: New insights from Ulysses.- Overview: The heliosphere then and now.

From the reviews:

The book reviews the major achievements by Ulysses over solar cycle 23 & . The reviews are up to date with a comprehensive list of references. As such, the book may serve as an excellent starting point for those who are just starting to work in this field as well as for practitioners who wish to gain a wider perspective. & In short, the book will help readers new to this research field to appreciate the current understanding oflC¶