Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p32a..03h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P32A-03
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2780] Magnetospheric Physics / Solar Wind Interactions With Unmagnetized Bodies, [6250] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Moon, [7807] Space Plasma Physics / Charged Particle Motion And Acceleration
Scientific paper
Solar system bodies that lack a significant atmosphere and significant internal magnetic fields, such as the Moon and asteroids, have been considered as passive absorbers of the solar wind. However, ion observations near the Moon by the SELENE spacecraft show that a fraction of the impacting solar wind protons are reflected by the surface of the Moon. Using new observations of the velocity spectrum of these reflected protons by the SARA experiment on-board the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft at the Moon, we show by modeling that the reflection of solar wind protons will change the global plasma environment. These global changes in ion fluxes and magnetic fields will depend on microscopic properties of the object's reflecting surface. This solar wind reflection process could explain past ion observations at the Moon, and the process should occur universally at all atmosphereless non-magnetized objects.
Barabash Stas
Bhardwaj Anil
Futaana Yoshifumi
Holmström Mats
Wieser Martin
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