Edited by
H. Fichtner, Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Bochum, Germany
By
E. Marsch, Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
H.-J. Fahr, Institut für Astrophysik und Extraterrestrische Forschung, Universitaet Bonn, Bonn, Germany
K. Scherer, Dat-Hex, Obere Strasse 11, OT Gillersheim, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Description
The eleventh COSPAR colloquium The Outer Heliosphere: The Next Frontiers was held in Potsdam, Germany, from 24-28 July, 2000, and is the
second dedicated to this subject after the first one held in Warsaw, Poland in 1989.
Roughly a century has passed after the first ideas
by Oliver Lodge, George Francis Fitzgerald and Kristan Birkeland about particle clouds emanating from the Sun and interacting with the
Earth environment. Only a few decades after the formulation of the concepts of a continuous solar corpuscular radiation by Ludwig Bierman
and a solar wind by Eugene Parker, heliospheric physics has evolved into an important branch of astrophysical research. Numerous spacecraft
missions have increased the knowledge about the heliosphere tremendously. Now, at the beginning of a new millenium it seems possible,
by newly developed propulasion technologies to send a spacecraft beyond the boundaries of the heliosphere. Such an Interstellar Proce
will start the in-situ exploration of interstellar space and, thus, can be considered as the first true astrophysical spacecraft. The
year 2000 appeared to be a highly welcome occassion to review the achievements since the last COSPAR Colloquia 11 years ago, to summarize
the present developments and to give new impulse for future activities in heliospheric research.
Included in series
Cospar
