Global vs. Mini-Magnetospheres: Differences and Similarities

Physics – Space Physics

Scientific paper

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2756 Planetary Magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6033), 2780 Solar Wind Interactions With Unmagnetized Bodies, 5440 Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, 6250 Moon (1221)

Scientific paper

Remanent crustal magnetic fields such as those found on the Moon, Mars, and possibly asteroids provide us with a unique space physics laboratory. Lunar crustal sources in particular allow us to explore direct solar wind interaction with magnetic obstacles of varying scale sizes. This interaction shares many features with a global magnetosphere, with various types of waves generated by charged particles interacting with magnetic field obstacles. For small electron-scale obstacles, a "whistler wake" can form, with waves similar to the "One Hz" waves commonly observed upstream from a global magnetosphere. Larger obstacles can generate ion-scale (magnetosonic) waves which can steepen to form shocks upstream from the magnetic obstacle, analogous to the bow shock of a global magnetosphere. Presumably, for a large enough crustal magnetic source, a full magnetosphere could be produced, with bow shock, magnetopause, etc. However, from a fundamental space physics perspective, perhaps the most interesting regime is that transitional between electron and ion scales, where electrons and ions likely decouple and kinetic behavior may prove most important. This transitional regime (which may be analogous in some ways to the reconnection diffusion region) is not well understood, and will require careful observations with a complete suite of particle and fields instrumentation - in concert with modern simulation techniques - to fully unravel.

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