Man, through intensive observations of natural phenomena, has learned about some of the basic principles which govern nature. The aurora is one of the most fascinating of these natural phenomena, and by studying it, man has just begun to comprehend auroral phenomena in terms of basic cosmic electrodynamic processes. The systematic and extensive observation of the aurora during and after the great international enterprise, the International Geophysical Year (lGY), led to the concept of the auroral substorm. Like many other geophysical phenomena, auroral displays have a dual time (universal- and local-time) dependence when seen by a ground-based observer. Thus, it was a difficult task for single observers, rotating with the Earth once a day, to grasp a transient feature of a large-scale auroral display. Such a complexity is inevitable in studying many geophysical features, in particular the polar upper atmospheric phenomena. However, it was found that their complexity began to unfold when the concept of the auroral substorm was introduced. In a book entitled Polar and Magnetospheric Substorms, the predeces sor to this book, I tried to describe the auroral phenomena as completely as possible in terms of the concept of the auroral substorm. At that time, the first satellite observations of particles and magnetic fields during substorms were just becoming available, and it was suggested that the auroral sub storm is a manifestation of a magnetospheric phenomenon called the magnetospheric substorm.

These papers include an exploration of how the solar wind interacts with different solar system obstacles, research on Galileo's flybys of asteroids Gaspra and Ida, and a comparison between the terrestial and Jovian magnetospheres.

Launches of several major magnetospheric research satellites (i.e., Polar, Wind, and Interball) set the scene for extensive multi-platform investigations of the Earth's plasma environment in the era of the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Program. Exciting new results from this Program and the ongoing innovative advances to scientific instrumentation and spacecraft technology are vitally important for the international space community in preparing for future plans in the upcoming new millenium. This volume is a product of the COSPAR Colloquium held in Beijing on April 15-19, 1996 aimed to consolidate these achievements. It contains state-of-the-art articles in the four areas of modern magnetospheric techniques, namely, (1) active experiment in space, (2) innovative measurement technique, (3) multi-point observation, and (4) numerical simulation and theoretical analysis. Researchers in the space community, both novices and experts, are expected to benefit from this collection of articles.

Despite the plethora of monographs published in recent years, few cover recent progress in magnetospheric physics in broad areas of research. While a topical focus is important to in-depth views at a problem, a broad overview of our field is also needed. The volume answers to the latter need. With the collection of articles written by leading scientists, the contributions contained in the book describe latest research results in solar wind-magnetosphere interaction, magnetospheric substorms, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, transport phenomena in the plasma sheet, wave and particle dynamics in the ring current and radiation belts, and extra-terrestrial magnetospheric systems. In addition to its breadth and timeliness, the book highlights innovative methods and techniques to study the geospace.

In 2010, NASA and the National Science Foundation asked the National Research Council to assemble a committee of experts to develop an integrated national strategy that would guide agency investments in solar and space physics for the years 2013-2022. That strategy, the result of nearly 2 years of effort by the survey committee, which worked with more than 100 scientists and engineers on eight supporting study panels, is presented in the 2013 publication, Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society. This booklet, designed to be accessible to a broader audience of policymakers and the interested public, summarizes the content of that report.

The present review book by Prof., Dr. Lev I. Dorman, Plasmas and Energetic Processes in Geomagnetosphere reflects the development of the geomagnetospheres research and applications for the last few decades. The importance and actuality of geomagnetosphere research are based on the following three factors: 1. The geomagnetosphere is the nearest giant natural laboratory, where it is possible via satellites and ground measurements to investigate in detail many different plasmas and energetic processes in space, which are caused by an interaction of high kinetic energy solar wind plasmas and its perturbations (Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections - ICMEs, Interplanetary Shock Waves ISWs, Interplanetary Interaction Regions IIR), including those frozen in the Interplanetary Magnetic Fields (IMF) with the rotated main geomagnetic field. This interaction leads to the dynamic transformation of magnetic fields in the geomagnetosphere, generation and trapping of high energy particles (which are known as Magnetospheric Cosmic Rays MCR), and the generation of many types of instabilities and electromagnetic radiations. These processes are in principle similar to processes in magnetospheres of other planets and their moons, in the atmosphere of the sun and other stars, in interplanetary and in interstellar space, and in many different astrophysical objects. This research is an important basis for fundamental space and astrophysical science. 2. Today, technology, economics, navigation, TV, Internet, radio connections, military aspects, and the life of people on our planet are strongly connected to the work of many satellites moving inside the geomagnetosphere. Different processes and MCR in the geomagnetosphere influence the satellites work and often lead to satellite malfunctions up to fully destroying their electronics; satellites essentially die in these cases. The described research can be considered as a basis for developing methods of forecasting dangerous situations for satellites in different orbits and to decrease the risk of satellite malfunctions and loss. 3. The interaction of ICME, ISW, and IIR with the geomagnetosphere leads to the generation of big magnetic storms accompanied with a Forbush decrease and precursory effects in Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) intensity. These magnetic storms are dangerous not only to satellites, but also to the Earths surface in terms of technology, radio connections, car accidents, and human health (e.g., increasing the frequency of infarct myocardial and brain strokes). Investigations of causes of magnetic storms can help to develop methods of forecasting and decreasing the level of magnetic storm hazards. Therefore, the other practical application of this research is connected with the problem of space weather and space climate influence on the technology, radio connections, navigation, transportation, and peoples health on the Earth, which is independent of altitude and geomagnetic latitude.