1. the first space scientist
Kristian Birkeland,
the first space scientist
(100 years Anniversary)
■ Birkeland organized three expeditions in arctic regions for a direct observation and registration of the polar aurorae (northern lights)
■ he realized an original apparatus for the silumations of aurorae in laboratory (terrella)
■ he was the first to plausibly address the polsr aurorae to electrical charged particles of solar origin
Kristiana (now Oslo, Norway), 1867
- Tokyo (Japan), 1917
■ the Birkeland “solar” theory was disputed in 50s and 60s by the English geophysical Sydney Chapman, who developed mathematical descriptions of current systems contained completely within the Earth ionosphere
Giuseppe Bonacina
■ direct evidence of the Birkeland theory was established In the mid-sixties with the magnetometers on board of artificial satellites in the upper atmosphere.
 XII International Crimean Conference
“Cosmos and the Biosphere”
Alushta, Crimea, October 2-6, 2017
■ Birkeland held also industrial interests, with 60 patens in different subject area (electrical and chemical) 1

2. 2 three expeditions in arctic regions
first expedition, February - March 1897
■ it was a «failure» for adverse weather conditions and a lack of experience
second expedition, September 1899 – April 1900
■ two small mountain refuges in auroral zone
■ the results of the second expedition and the preliminary theory of «solar» origin of the polar aurorae are reported in the book of K. Birkeland Expedition Norvegienne (Norway, 1901)
third expedition,
■ results of the third expedition and of the laboratory experiments are reported in the book of K. Birkeland The Norvwegian Aurora Polaris Expedition On the cause of magnetic storms and the origin of terrestrial magnetism
(Norway, 1908)
1. Kaafjord (69° 56’ N), Norway
2. Dyrafjord (66° 15’ N), Iceland
3. Axeløen (77° 41’ N), Svalbord Archipelago
4. Matotchkin Schar (73° 16’ N), Novaya Zemlya, Russia
■ 4 stations in the auroral ring 2

3. 3 the «solar» origin of polar aurorae auroral ring
Birkeland’s original digram explaining the origin of polar aurorae from solar wind
■ diameter 4000 km
■ latitude 60° - 70° N and S
■ height km (ionosphere)
aligned electric
currents (vertical)
■ light production from excited oxigen and nitrogen molucules in the air
■ more frequent about equinoxes
auroral
electrojet (horizontal)
■ planet conditions for aurorae: a magnetic field and a gaseous atmosphere (Earth, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus)
laboratory apparatus for aurorae simulations
■ a glass chamber with a high vacuum containing a source of cathode rays, simulating the Sun, and a magnetized metallic sphere (terrella), «piccola Terra», small Earth) simulating the Earth 3

4. 4 current polar aurorae mechanism solar wind
Alv Egeland, William J. Burke
Kristian Birkeland - The first space scientist
Springer, 2005
solar wind
■ sporadic aurorae events: from CME and flares
■ recurrents aurorae events: (about 27 days): from coronal holes
electric currents in the Earth magnetosphere
Norwegian 200 kroner banknote dedicated to Kristian Birkeland 4