Cosmical Electrodynamics

The spectacular results of radio astronomy have increased interest in the broader field of electromagnetic phenomena in cosmical physics. This subject is introduced here by a discussion of the various possible types of disturbance which may propagate in a magneto-ionic medium. The results are then applied in some regions of interest, particularly those from which nonthermal radio emission takes place. In the solar atmosphere many otherwise mysterious phenomena are explained as electromagnetic effects: the heating of the corona to 10°K, flares, the violent motion of the gases and emission of radio waves, as well as X rays and the corpuscles which cause magnetic storms. Interstellar space, the interior of a mysterious nebula and radio source (the Crab nebula), and interplanetary space provide more examples of electromagnetic phenomena. One of the most fundamental problems concerns the origin of cosmic rays, now believed to result from electromagnetic processes. Evidence is provided of an even more fundamental process: the creation of magnetic field on such an enormous scale that nuclear energy sources are indicated.