Physics
Scientific paper
Jan 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010georl..3702105s&link_type=abstract
Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 37, Issue 2, CiteID L02105
Physics
6
Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets: Magnetospheres (2756), Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetic Reconnection (7526, 7835), Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetopause And Boundary Layers, Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetosheath
Scientific paper
Six flux transfer events (FTEs) were encountered during MESSENGER's first two flybys of Mercury (M1 and M2). For M1 the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was predominantly northward and four FTEs with durations of 1 to 6 s were observed in the magnetosheath following southward IMF turnings. The IMF was steadily southward during M2, and an FTE 4 s in duration was observed just inside the dawn magnetopause followed ˜32 s later by a 7-s FTE in the magnetosheath. Flux rope models were fit to the magnetic field data to determine FTE dimensions and flux content. The largest FTE observed by MESSENGER had a diameter of ˜1 RM (where RM is Mercury's radius), and its open magnetic field increased the fraction of the surface exposed to the solar wind by 10-20 percent and contributed up to ˜30 kV to the cross-magnetospheric electric potential.
Anderson Brian J.
Baker Daniel N.
Benna Mehdi
Boardsen Scott A.
Killen Rosemary Margaret
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