Spontaneous Current Sheets in Magnetic Fields

Eugene N. Parker is S. Chandrasekhar Distinguished Service Professor in the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago. One of the founders of the field of space plasma physics, Professor Parker is the recipient of many honors, including the United States National Medal of Science and election to the National Academy of Science, where he served as chairman of the Astronomy section from 1983 to 1986.

• 1: Introduction 2: The Field Equations 3: Invariance, Degeneracy and Continuous Equations 4: Formal Structure of the Magnetostatic Equations 5: Direct Integration of Equilibrium Equations 6: Examples of Field Discontinuities 7: The Optical Analogy 8: Topology of Tangential Discontinuities 9: Fluid Motions 10: Effects of Resistivity 11: Solar X-ray Emission

Parker has great gifts for physical explanation and for expository writing, and he makes the ideas accessible without detailed study of the mathematical examples. 'Spontaneous Current Sheets in Magnetic Fields' is a major work that should be read by anyone interested in magnetohydrodynamics or plasma astrophysics. It will be an influential book for a long time to come.