The present 15th volume of the ISSI Space Science Series is devoted to
Auroral Plasma Physics. The aurora is arguably the most intriguing
phenomenon in space plasma physics. Not only is it the most spectacular
manifestation of the Sun-Earth connection chain, but the underlying
plasma processes are expected to be ubiqui tous in the plasma universe.
Recognizing the enormous progress made over the last decade in the
understanding of the physics of the auroral acceleration processes, it
seemed timely to write a comprehensive and integrated book on the
subject. Re cent advances concern the clarification of the nature of the
acceleration process of the electrons that are responsible for the
visible aurora, the recognition of the fundamental role of the
large-scale current systems in organizing the auroral mor phology, and
of the interplay between particles and electromagnetic fields. The
project began in March 1999, as a natural follow-up of the project on
Magnetospheric Plasma Sources and Losses that resulted in volume 6 of
this se ries, with a planning meeting by a core-group that coordinated
the project. The group consisted of J. E. Borovsky, Los Alamos National
Laboratory; C. W. Carl son, University of California, Berkeley; G.
Haerendel, Max-Planck-Institut fur ex traterrestrische Physik, Garching;
B. Hultqvist, Swedish Intitute ofSpace Physics, H. E. J. Koskinen,
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki; W. Lotko, Kiruna; Dartmouth
College, Hanover, New Hampshire; K. A. Lynch, University of New
Hampshire, Durham and G. Marklund, Royal Institute ofTechnology,
Stockholm. G. Paschmann, ISSI, Bern, was the project leader."
