MESSENGER Observations and Kinetic Simulations of Quasi-Trapped Ion and Electron Populations at Mercury

Details MESSENGER Observations and Kinetic Simulations of Quasi-Trapped Ion and Electron Populations at Mercury MESSENGER Observations and Kinetic Simulations of Quasi-Trapped Ion and Electron Populations at Mercury

Dec 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p44a..10s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P44A-10

Physics

[2753] Magnetospheric Physics / Numerical Modeling, [2772] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Waves And Instabilities, [2784] Magnetospheric Physics / Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, [5443] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Magnetospheres

Scientific paper

Mariner 10 and MESSENGER spacecraft observations have established that Mercury has an intrinsic magnetic field and an associated magnetosphere. Because Mercury's magnetic moment and hence its magnetosphere are small compared with those of Earth, it has been debated whether an equatorially trapped plasma population can exist around Mercury in a manner analogous to Earth's radiation belts. Recent global kinetic simulations predicted that for low to moderate solar wind pressure a quasi-trapped particle population can exist around Mercury. With the insertion of MESSENGER into orbit around Mercury in March 2011, numerous in situ measurements have been made that show ions and electrons with typical energies of about 1-10 keV forming an equatorial-centered distribution of plasma at about 1.4 R_M radial distance (where R_M is Mercury's radius) around the planet in magnetic local time from morning, through midnight, and into the afternoon sector. Coincident with the direct observation of plasma particles around Mercury, a measured drop in the total magnetic pressure is attributable to the ion and electron thermal pressure in the equatorial region. Additionally, intense waves near the ion cyclotron frequency were observed in the same location as the quasi-trapped particle population. These waves are most likely a result of the unstable, highly anisotropic distribution created by the large loss cone (> 30 degrees) at these radial distances. Precipitation of these quasi-trapped particles can play an important role through ion sputtering and electron-stimulated desorption in the formation of the exosphere and heavy ion cloud that surrounds Mercury.

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