Low Latitude Aeronomical Processes contains the papers presented at the symposium on Low Latitude Aeronomical Processes, held in Bangalore, India in May and June 1979. The conference focuses on the discussion and exchange of scientific studies on low latitude aeronomy, of which India is one of the main practitioners. The presentations contained in the book cover areas of study in equatorial electrojet, electric field, and electric current; low latitude middle atmosphere; and low latitude ionosphere above 100 km. Trans-ionospheric propagation in the equatorial regions and stratospheric chemistry and sun-weather relationships for low latitude regions, as well as a discussion on incoherent and coherent scatter observations at low latitude, are encompassed as well. Atmospheric physicists and researchers will find this book an interesting read.

Reprint from Pure and Applied Geophysics (PAGEOPH), Volume 131 (1989), No. 3

There is hardly any field of human endeavour which is more fundamental than the study of our surroundings. We have always wanted to learn what was behind our horizon, beyond the next mountain, on the other side of the ocean, on the next planet, at the end of the Universe. We have come a long way since our early ancestors gazed upon the sky in amazement. Giant optical and radio telescopes now allow us to "see" the early epochs of the Universe, revealing phenomena beyond our comprehension. Spacecrafts with on-board astronomical instrumentation circle the Earth and fly to the limits of the Solar System, providing invaluable new information about nearby and distant objects. Many people have the intuitive feeling that it is "easier and better" to study the Universe from above the Earth's atmosphere. However, this is only partially true in as much as electromagnetic radiation of certain wavelengths (e.g. X-rays) does not penetrate the atmosphere and can only be studied from balloons and space crafts • The advent of space-borne astronomy has not made ground-based observations obsolete - on the contrary, it is only thanks to the combination of the two that we have now a vastly more comprehensive picture of the Universe than just a few decades ago.

This book is a multi-author treatise on the most outstanding research problems in the field of the aeronomy of the Earth’s atmosphere and ionosphere, encompassing the science covered by Division II of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA). It contains several review articles and detailed papers by leading scientists in the field. The book is organized in five parts: 1) Mesosphere-Lower Thermosphere Dynamics and Chemistry; 2) Vertical Coupling by Upward Propagating Waves; 3) Ionospheric Electrodynamics and Structuring; 4) Thermosphere- Ionosphere Coupling, Dynamics and Trends and 5) Ionosphere-Thermosphere Disturbances and Modeling. The book consolidates the progress achieved in the field in recent years and it serves as a useful reference for graduate students as well as experienced researchers.

Space and Development contains the proceedings of the Vikram Sarabhai Symposium on Space and Development, held at Bangalore, India from May 29 to June 9, 1979. The book provides the papers presented in the symposium, examining the relevance of space technology to the problems being faced by developing countries in the world. The collection of papers, written and prepared by socially committed space scientists, attempts to foster enlightenment on the issue of whether space technology is significant to the solution of the problems besetting mankind, specifically the developing nations. Discussions on topics regarding the applicability and benefit of space science to countries at all stages of development; the role of science and technology in accelerating social and economic progress; and geologic and educational applications of space technologies are presented. The book also includes a transcript of a panel discussion by the participants of the symposium. Space scientists, astronomers, geologists, physicists, economists, sociologists, and people interested to understand the ramifications of space technology on our lives will find this book invaluable.