Space Plasma Physics

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The complementary nature of kinetic and fluid descriptions in the treatment of space plasmas
• Magnetospheric dynamics including geomagnetic storms and substorms, and disturbances in the near-Earth space environment
• Charged particle motion in magnetic fields, including the Earth's dipole field
• Have an introduction to current key research in space plasma physics
• Earth’s space environment in relation to that of other planets
• Theories of solar wind propagation and its interaction with the Earth

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Interpret geomagnetic field measurements in terms of currents flowing in Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere
• Explain how particle collisions produce Hall and Pedersen currents in the ionosphere
• Explain the main consequences of magnetic reconnection for Earth's magnetosphere
• Describe the phases and features of magnetic storms and substorms, and their causes
• Calculate fundamental properties of a plasma given appropriate information
• Use kinetic theory to explain the motions of charged particles in the ionosphere and near-Earth space
• Apply basic electromagnetism to derive the kinetic theory of plasmas
• Apply fluid theory to large scale plasmas

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.