Computer Science
Scientific paper
Apr 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003eaeja.....5694l&link_type=abstract
EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly, Abstracts from the meeting held in Nice, France, 6 - 11 April 2003, abstract #5694
Computer Science
Scientific paper
We describe Mercury's Neutral Sodium exosphere using a comprehensive 3D Monte Carlo model following sodium atoms ejected from Mercury's surface by thermal desorption, photo stimulated desorption, micro-meteoroid vaporization and solar wind sputtering. The evolution of the sodium surface density with respect to Mercury's rotation and its motion around the Sun is taken into account by considering enrichment processes due to cold surfaces trapping of neutrals and ions and depletion of the surface by desorption. The sodium exosphere is calculated during one Mercury's year taking into account the variations in the solar radiation pressure, the photo-ionization frequency, the solar wind density, the photon and meteoroid flux intensities, and the surface temperature. The sodium surface density distribution is found to become significantly inhomogeneous from day to night sides, from low to high latitudes and from morning to afternoon because of rapid depletion of sodium atoms in the surface mainly driven by thermal depletion. The shape of the exosphere as it would be seen from the Earth changes drastically with respect to Mercury's heliocentric positions. High latitude column density maxima can occur at particular Mercury positions without unusual high solar wind density or coronal mass ejection interaction with Mercury's surface. The model, which has no fitting parameters, shows surprisingly good agreement with recent observations of Potter et al. (2002) successfully explaining their velocity and column density profiles vs. heliocentric distance. This allows us to constrain the supply rate of new sodium atoms into the surface. We also discuss the possible origins of the strong high latitude emissions (Potter and Morgan 1997) and the strong variations of the total content of the sodium exosphere (Potter et al. 1999).
Johnson Robert E.
LeBlanc Francis
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