Unstable Current Systems and Plasma Instabilities in Astrophysics : Proceedings of the 107th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union Held in College Park, Maryland, U.S.A., August 8–11, 1983

**`**...will be most useful as a reference and a summary of current theoretical work in magnetic reconnection and plasma physics of solar flares and astrophysical jets. ...recommended to libraries and to plasma physicists of all persuasions.**'** **Science, 230** Front Matter....Pages i-xxii Introductory Remarks....Pages 1-2 Front Matter....Pages 3-3 Magnetic Field Reconnection in Cosmic Plasmas....Pages 5-23 Patchy Reconnection and Magnetic Ropes in Astrophysical Plasmas....Pages 25-42 Magnetic Flux Ropes of Venus: A Paradigm for Helical Magnetic Structures in Astrophysical Systems....Pages 43-46 Laboratory Experiments on Current Sheet Disruptions, Double Layers Turbulence and Reconnection....Pages 47-60 Reconnection in Sheared Magnetic Fields in Space and Astrophysics....Pages 61-81 Front Matter....Pages 83-83 Formation, Equilibrium and Stability of Jets....Pages 85-94 Energy Dissipation Mechanisms in the Solar Corona....Pages 95-111 On the Role of Double Layers in Astrophysical Plasmas....Pages 113-123 Particle Energization in Stochastic Double Layers....Pages 125-129 Links between Jet Instabilities, Radiation and Propagation in Astrophysics....Pages 131-138 A Unified Theory of Coronal Heating....Pages 139-143 Front Matter....Pages 145-145 Laboratory Experiments on Reconnection in Current Sheets....Pages 147-166 Computer Simulation of Reconnection in Planetary Magnetospheres....Pages 167-184 Observational Evidence for Magnetic Reconnection in Microwave Solar Bursts....Pages 185-190 Acceleration of Runaway Electrons and Joule Heating in Solar Flares....Pages 191-196 The Coalescence Instability in Solar Flares....Pages 197-210 3D Simulation of Externally Driven Reconnection....Pages 211-215 Opening of the Magnetic Field Lines in a Fast Rotating Magnetosphere, with an Application to Jupiter....Pages 217-220 Quasi-Static Evolution of Force-Free Magnetic Fields and a Model for Two-Ribbon Solar Flares....Pages 221-224 Front Matter....Pages 145-145 Solar Microwave Emission in Active Regions....Pages 225-230 Front Matter....Pages 231-231 Current Sheets in Solar Flares....Pages 233-244 Energy Dissipation Mechanisms in Flare Stars....Pages 245-262 A Unified Treatment of the Filament and Flare Instabilities....Pages 263-271 Nonlinear Evolution of the Resistive Tearing Mode....Pages 273-276 Resistive Instabilities in Astrophysical Conditions: A Critical Discussion....Pages 277-280 Magnetodynamical Processes in Interacting Magnetospheres of RS CVn Binaries....Pages 281-286 “Sweeping Pinch” Mechanism and the Acceleration of Jets in Astrophysics....Pages 287-291 Energy Release in Solar Flares....Pages 293-298 An Interpretation of the Millisecond Time Variation in Hard X-Ray Solar Flares....Pages 299-301 Observations of the Earth’s Cross-Tail Current Sheet and their Implications....Pages 303-307 Plasma Instabilities Generated by Streaming Particles....Pages 309-312 Front Matter....Pages 313-313 Anomalous Transport in Current Sheets....Pages 315-328 Anomalous Transport Induced by Field Aligned Currents and its Relation to Electromagnetic Coupling....Pages 329-340 Self-Confined Cosmic Rays....Pages 341-354 Nonlinear Effects and the Limitation of Electron Streaming Instabilities in Astrophysics....Pages 355-359 Cosmic Rays and the Parker Instability....Pages 361-363 Phase Mixing of Propagating Alfvén Waves....Pages 365-369 Velocity Shear Instabilities in the Anisotropic Solar Wind....Pages 371-374 Kelvin-Helmholtz Instabilities in a Magnetised Compressible Plasma (Sheared Flow)....Pages 375-377 Front Matter....Pages 379-379 Plasma Heating by Alfvén Waves — Kinetic Properties of Magnetohydrodynamic Disturbances....Pages 381-389 Kinetic Theory of Alfvén Wave Heating....Pages 391-392 MHD Equilibrium and Instabilities in Extragalactic Jets....Pages 393-412 Bursting Particle Acceleration in Radio Jets....Pages 413-423 Instabilities in Astrophysical Jets: Disease and Cure....Pages 425-431 Current Systems in Radio Jets....Pages 433-437 Is the Jet in M87 Magnetically Confined?....Pages 439-443 Front Matter....Pages 445-445 Laboratory Plasma Processes of Astrophysical Interest....Pages 447-452 Accretion Disk Electrodynamics....Pages 453-469 Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray Production by Current Disruption in Active Galactic Nuclei....Pages 471-473 Theory of Strongly Turbulent Two-Dimensional Cross Field Convection of Current Carrying Space Plasmas....Pages 475-475 Magnetic Field Recconection in Differentially Rotating Accretion Disks....Pages 477-482 Coronal Arcades in the Sun and their Hydromagnetic Stability....Pages 483-486 MHD Analysis of the Evolution of Solar Magnetic Fields and Currents in an Active Region....Pages 487-490 Bending Waves on Current Sheets....Pages 491-496 Quasi-Two-Dimensional Cosmic Jets....Pages 497-501 Front Matter....Pages 503-503 Creation of High-Energy Electron Tails by the Lower-Hybrid Waves and its Relevance to Type II and III Bursts....Pages 505-508 Current Status of the Dissipative Thermal Model for Solar Hard X-Ray Bursts....Pages 509-512 Non-Stochastic Acceleration of Protons in the Magnetic Neutral Sheet....Pages 513-518 Beam-Return Current Systems in Solar Flares....Pages 519-520 Front Matter....Pages 503-503 Collisionless Effects on Beam-Return Current Systems in Solar Flares....Pages 521-525 Front Matter....Pages 527-527 Summary of Conference....Pages 529-536 Perspectives on Space and Astrophysical Plasma Physics....Pages 537-552 Front Matter....Pages 553-553 Spatio-Temporal Features of The Development of Microwave Emission of Active Regions and Flares....Pages 555-558 Concerning the Dynamics of Energetic Protons in Coronal Magnetic Loops: Dispersion Effects of Alfven Waves....Pages 559-559 Back Matter....Pages 561-566 In the past decade rapid development has occurred in the fields of astrophysics, space science, and plasma physics. The new generation of space observations has led to an increasin~ requirement for a thorou~h understanding of processes that occur in magnetized plasmas. The real ization that essentially the same plasma processes must be understood for many problems related to astrophysical, space, and man-made plasmas has led to a greater need for interdisciplinary meetings involving experts from these diverse fields. This Symposium, "Unstahle Current Systems and Plasma Instabilities in Astrophysics", represents the first meeting within the International Astronomical Union to bring together scientists from these disciplines. It was jointly sponsored hy IAU Commissions 40, Radio Astronomy, 12, Solar Radiation and 10, Solar Activity. It was co-sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Solar Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP) and by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). The Symposium, No. 107, was held at the University of Maryland in College Park, ~aryland, August 8-11, 1983. The Scientific Organizin~ Committee of the Symposium consisted of M.R. Kundu (Chairman), A. Bridle, A.A. Galeev, J. Heyvaerts, D.B. Melrose, K. Papadopoulos, E.R. Priest, B.V. Somov, D.S. Spicer, S.K. Trehan, Y. Uchida, and V. Vasyliunas. The topics and speakers were chosen in order to emphasize the common physics underlyin~ a diversity of astrophysical topics, and to present the, "ost recent work on these topics and the relevant physics ` ...will be most useful as a reference and a summary of current theoretical work in magnetic reconnection and plasma physics of solar flares and astrophysical jets. ...recommended to libraries and to plasma physicists of all persuasions. ' Science, 230 Edited By Mukul R. Kundu And Gordon D. Holman. This Symposium Was Dedicated To The Memory Of The Late Professor Sergei Ivanovitch Syrovatskii--p. Xii. At Head Of Title: International Astronomical Union. Includes Bibliographies And Index.