The Nature of Solar Prominences

The last twenty years since the publication of Dr. Tandberg-Hanssen's book Solar Prominences have seen a renewed interest in this most interesting form of solar activity. As a consequence, new ideas have been explored to explain the great variety of prominences, their relationship to solar flares and their seemingly complete dependence on the action of magnetic fields. This new book gives these and other aspects of prominences in a comprehensive treatment and brings out the basic physics behind the often brilliant displays of prominence activity. After an historical introduction and classification of prominences, the necessary mathematical and physical background is presented so that the formation, stability, and disappearance of prominences can be thoroughly discussed. Particular emphasis is given to the intimate relationship between disappearing prominences and the all-important effects of the large-scale coronal magnetic fields. The book is for advanced students in astrophysics and professional solar astronomers.