Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Aug 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009georl..3616103n&link_type=abstract
Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 36, Issue 16, CiteID L16103
Physics
Plasma Physics
22
Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Moon (1221), Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind Interactions With Unmagnetized Bodies, Space Plasma Physics: Charged Particle Motion And Acceleration, Space Plasma Physics: Particle Acceleration
Scientific paper
We study solar wind (SW) entry deep into the near-Moon wake using SELENE (KAGUYA) data. It has been known that SW protons flowing around the Moon access the central region of the distant lunar wake, while their intrusion deep into the near-Moon wake has never been expected. We show that SW protons sneak into the deepest lunar wake (anti-subsolar region at ˜100 km altitude), and that the entry yields strong asymmetry of the near-Moon wake environment. Particle trajectory calculations demonstrate that these SW protons are once scattered at the lunar dayside surface, picked-up by the SW motional electric field, and finally sneak into the deepest wake. Our results mean that the SW protons scattered at the lunar dayside surface and coming into the night side region are crucial for plasma environment in the wake, suggesting absorption of ambient SW electrons into the wake to maintain quasi-neutrality.
Asamura Kazushi
Fujimoto Minoru
Maezawa Kiyoshi
Matsushima Masaki
Nishino Masaki N.
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