The Sun, Solar Analogs and the Climate: Saas-Fee Advanced Course 34, 2004. Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy / Edition 1

by Joanna Dorothy Haigh, Isabelle Rïedi, Michael Lockwood, Manuel Gïdel, Mark S. Giampapa

Overview

The 34th Saas-Fee advanced course of the Swiss Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics (SSAA) took place from March 15 to 20, 2004, in Davos, on the subject of The Sun, Solar Analogs and the Climate. Presently the Swiss mountain resort of Davos is probably most wellknown for hosting an event on globalization. However, it is because Davos also happens to be the seat of the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos and World Radiation Center, that this course on a “global” subject was hosted here. Exceptionally, the topic of this course was not purely astrophysical, but the members of the SSAA decided to support it all the same due to the timely topic of global warming and its possible link to solar variations. In these times of concern about global warming, it is important to und- stand solar variability and its interaction with the atmosphere. Only in this way can we distinguish between the solar and anthropogenic contributions to the rising temperatures. Therefore, this course addressed the observed va- ability of the Sun and the present understanding of the variability’s origin and its impact on the Earth’s climate. Comparing the solar variability with that of solar analog stars leads to a better understanding of the solar activity cycle and magnetic activity in general, and helps us to estimate how large the solar variations could be on longer time scales. Inspite of the fantastic weather and snow conditions which reigned during this week, the participants assiduously took part in the lectures. This is proof of the high quality of the lectures that the three speakers, Joanna Haigh, Mike Lockwood and David Soderblom, delivered. We deeply thank them for their contributions and efforts and hope that the readers will enjoy the book as much as we enjoyed their lectures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783642062797
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	12/01/2010
Series:	Saas-Fee Advanced Course , #34
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2005
Pages:	426
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

The Earth's Climate and its Response to Solar Variability: The Climate System.- Atmospheric Dynamics, Modes of Variability and Climate Modelling.- Climate Records.- Radiative Processes in the Atmosphere.- The Greenhouse Effect and Radiative Forcing of Climate Change.- Clouds.- Atmospheric Phohemistry.- Response of Climate to Variations in Solar Irradiance.- The Earth's Electric Field and Ionisation of the Atmosphere.- Conclusions.- Solar Outputs, Their Variations and Their Effects on Earth: Introduction to the Sun and the Solar Activity Cycle.- Fundamental Plasma Physics of the Sun and Heliosphere.- The Heliosphere, Cosmic Rays and Cosmogenic Isotopes.- Solar Irradiance Variations.- Variability on Century Timescales.- Implications for Earth's Climate.- Conclusions and Implications.- Stellar Analogs of Solar Activity: The Sun in A Stellar Context: Introduction.- Stellar Cycles.- Brightness Changes in Solar-Type Stars.- Activity in Solar Analogs.- Stellar Surface Inhomogeneities.- The Coronae of Solar Analogs, Low Mass Stars, and Brown Dwarfs.- The Early Sun.- Stellar Activity and Extrasolar Planets.- Index.