Magnetic Reconnection: MHD Theory and Applications

Magnetic reconnection is at the core of many dynamic phenomena in the universe, such as solar flares, geomagnetic substorms and tokamak disruptions. In an authoritative volume, two world leaders on the subject give a comprehensive overview of this fundamental process. The book provides both a full account of the basic theory and a wide-ranging review of the physical phenomena created by reconnection - from laboratory machines, the Earth's magnetosphere, and the Sun's atmosphere to flare stars and astrophysical accretion disks. It also provides a succinct account of various mechanisms of particle acceleration and of how reconnection can be important in such mechanisms. The clear and pedagogical style makes this book an essential introduction for graduate students and an authoritative reference for researchers in solar physics, astrophysics, plasma physics and space science.