Auroral physics is a subject that has seen considerable change and development over the past twenty years, particularly because of its importance to space research and the exploration of the near earth environment. In July 1988, a conference held at St. Johns College, Cambridge, celebrated the centenary of Sydney Chapman, the founder of the subject in its modern form, and brought together an international group of experts in the field to discuss important developments and the likely directions of future research. Auroral Physics gives a comprehensive overview of the subject, and puts forward some important new ideas.

An international, multi- and interdisciplinary scientific journal of original articles and of short communications in the following fields: physics and dynamics of the oceans and seas, incl. oceanography and marine sciences; air-sea and air-land-vegetation interactions, incl. physical, chemical and biological processes; modelling and remote sensing of oceans, atmospheres and climate; physics, dynamics and chemistry of the lower, middle and upper atmosphere of the Earth, incl. meteorology and climatology; physics of ionosphere and magnetosphere of the Earth, incl. solarterrestrial relations, geomagnetism and magnetic activity; interplanetary and heliospheric physics, incl. solar wind, energetic particles and radiation belts of the Earth; physics and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, incl. chromosphere and corona, emissions and magnetic activity; space plasma physics and active experiments in space.