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AOS 205A/C170: "Introduction to Solar System Plasmas"

Semester: 

Winter

Offered: 

2018

This 4-unit class serves as an introduction to basic plasma physical processes occurring in sun, solar wind, magnetospheres, and ionospheres of planets, using simple fluid (magnetohydrodynamic) models as well as individual particle (radiation belt dynamics) approach. Solar-planetary coupling processes, geomagnetic phenomena, aurora. Concurrently scheduled with course C170. S/U (for majors with consent of instructor after successful completion of written and oral comprehensive examination and for nonmajors at discretion of major department) or letter grading.

 

AOS259: "Space Weather"

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2018
This newly-revamped, 4-unit, graduate-level class is positioned at the intersection of two exciting and rapidly-growing fields, namely space weather and machine learning.  We will be reading through the newly-published book “Machine Learning Techniques for Space Weather”, and each week, a different student will be presenting one of the chapters in detail, thus giving the class an up to date overview of the various researchers around the world... Read more about AOS259: "Space Weather"

AOS M7/EPSS M7: "Perils of Space: Introduction to Space Weather"

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2018

Space weather is an emerging domain of the space sciences that studies the conditions in space that impact society its technological systems. Space weather occurs as a consequence of the dynamic behavior of the sun, and its interaction with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. This 4-credit class is a lower-division introduction to space weather for all majors. The phenomenology of the solar-terrestrial relationship will be introduced and basic physics describing the interaction will be explored. The goal of the course will be to have students understand...

Read more about AOS M7/EPSS M7: "Perils of Space: Introduction to Space Weather"

AOS 250B: "Solar System Microscopic Plasma Physics Processes"

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2017
UCLA registrar's website
This class covers a variety of topics topics including: Adiabatic charged particle dynamics; incoherent radiation processes; collective effects in plasma; propagation characteristics of electrostatic and electromagnetic waves; introduction to resonant interaction between charged particles and plasma waves.
While the course content remains identical to previous years, I use a new method of delivery known as "guided reading" which is a variant of a "flipped classroom" environment.  Students are given reading assignments in the course reader, and two ~1-hour lectures...
Read more about AOS 250B: "Solar System Microscopic Plasma Physics Processes"