Sodium-ion pickup observed above the magnetopause during MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby: Constraints on neutral exospheric models

Details Sodium-ion pickup observed above the magnetopause during MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby: Constraints on neutral exospheric models Sodium-ion pickup observed above the magnetopause during MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby: Constraints on neutral exospheric models

Feb 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009georl..3604106s&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 36, Issue 4, CiteID L04106

Physics

8

Magnetospheric Physics: Planetary Magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6033), Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mercury, Atmospheric Composition And Structure: Exosphere, Magnetospheric Physics: Numerical Modeling, Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions

Scientific paper

Single-particle tracings of sodium pickup ions launched upstream of Mercury's magnetopause are used to investigate the access of these ions to the magnetosphere and set limits on the distribution of neutral sodium about the planet during the first MESSENGER flyby. The transport of pickup ions is modeled using flow velocity and magnetic fields from a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation. Extensive penetration of pickup ions into the magnetosphere is found in the post-noon and dusk local time sectors due to the northward interplanetary magnetic field at the time of MESSENGER's first flyby. It is concluded that: (1) pickup of magnetosheath photoions may be an important source of hot planetary ions within the magnetosphere; and (2) the sodium ions in the magnetosheath observed by MESSENGER must originate from an extended neutral exosphere due to ion sputtering and/or to a partially escaping distribution generated by photon-stimulated desorption with yields modified by regolith trapping.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Sodium-ion pickup observed above the magnetopause during MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby: Constraints on neutral exospheric models 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 Sodium-ion pickup observed above the magnetopause during MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby: Constraints on neutral exospheric models, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sodium-ion pickup observed above the magnetopause during MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby: Constraints on neutral exospheric models will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-917379