Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.u12a..05s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #U12A-05
Other
2723 Magnetic Reconnection (7526, 7835), 2756 Planetary Magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6033), 2784 Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, 2788 Magnetic Storms And Substorms (7954)
Scientific paper
MESSENGER's 14 January and 6 October 2008 encounters with Mercury have provided new observations of this small magnetosphere. An area where these MESSENGER measurements may have especially great impact is magnetic reconnection and its effects on magnetospheric structure and dynamics. Reconnection between the interplanetary and planetary magnetic fields is known to control the rate of energy transfer from the solar wind and to drive magnetospheric convection. Similarly, reconnection internal to the magnetospheres is a key process in determining the manner and rate of dissipation of energy derived from the solar wind in driving electric currents, the jetting and heating of plasmas, and the acceleration of energetic particles. Particles and fields measurements from MESSENGER's first two flybys of Mercury are examined for evidence of reconnection at the day-side magnetopause and in the night-side magnetosphere and to infer the intensity of the corresponding convection. Phenomena to be investigated include flux transfer events, magnetopause structure, tail current sheet structure, and charged particle acceleration and heating. The results will be used to assess the role of reconnection in Mercury's magnetosphere and contrast its overall importance for this very small magnetosphere with what has been observed at the other planets with internal magnetic fields.
Acuña Mario Humberto
Anderson Benjamin J.
Baker Daniel N.
Benna Marcus
Boardsen Scott A.
No associations
LandOfFree
MESSENGER Observations of Magnetic Reconnection and its Effects on Mercury's Magnetosphere does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with MESSENGER Observations of Magnetic Reconnection and its Effects on Mercury's Magnetosphere, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and MESSENGER Observations of Magnetic Reconnection and its Effects on Mercury's Magnetosphere will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1240360